Savages
by diablosflame
Summary: Cocoon and Pulse, two civilizations that share a border as well as a common enmity for the other. Claire 'Lightning' Farron is a soldier for Cocoon and, after news spreads that Pulse has been attacking settlements along the border, is captured while on a recon mission to the border. When she starts to fall for one of the tribeswomen she finds her world turned upside down.
1. Chapter 1

**Pulse has invaded.**

These words dominated the headlines across the continent of Cocoon, spreading fear and panic through the masses. They all lived in constant fear of the threat from the so called 'barbarians' who inhabited the continent of Pulse to the south of them. Now the Pulsians were on their doorstep and the people of Cocoon didn't know how to react. War was upon them or so most people thought, but very few of them knew what war was. Claire Farron had seen war.

Claire was lying in her bed in the house she shared with her sister, Serah. She hadn't seen the headlines yet so was unaware of the Pulsian threat, all she knew was that she didn't want to get up today. "Claire." A pounding, though whether it's from her head or from the door she doesn't know. "Claire, get up."

"Wha?" Claire's voice was unfamiliar to her, it sounded far too hoarse and thick to be hers. She cleared her throat loudly and reiterated. "What is it?"

"Come here, you need to see this."

She groans as she sits up to get out of bed, her head is pounding and her body is sore. _Must have been a hell of a night last night._ She remembered going out to the bar to have a few drinks but the rest of the night was a blur. She noticed she was still wearing the clothes she had on the previous night, never a good sign. She walked out to the fridge and poured herself a glass of water, Serah was sitting on the couch in their living room. "Are you watching this?"

On the TV screen was plastered the image of the primarch, Dysley something or other, and he was as usual ranting about the threat presented by Pulse. "We have confirmed reports of attacks being carried out in the border towns, attacks we can directly link to Pulse insurgents. There will be action, there will be retaliation..." By this point Claire had stopped listening and returned to her throbbing headache.

She sat down next to Serah and took a long drink from her glass. "Did you hear that, Claire? They say there's going to be war."

"They always say that. It's never true."

Claire had been listening to their crap for years now and had learned not to believe a word of it. The last war Cocoon had fought had been against itself, a war that Claire had been a part of. She had fought on the front lines when the militants had come to seize Bodhum City and she had been there when the militants were routed. She had seen war, she knew what it looked like, and it certainly didn't look like some old man on TV talking about retaliation and divine right. This wasn't war, it was bullshit.

"But what if it's true, Claire? Won't you have to go." Claire was still with the army, an army that was now under the Sanctum's direction. "I don't want you to go."

"There won't be a need. Trust me this is just Dysley posturing to keep the Sanctum in power." The last war had involved an uprising against the Sanctum which Claire didn't believe in but a paying job was a paying job and Claire happened to be good at it. "A war with Pulse wouldn't make any sense. They don't even use guns, it would be pointless."

Serah seemed unconvinced so Claire returned to her glass until her phone rang. "Lightning Farron, you are to report to headquarters ASAP."

"Yes, sir."

Her response was less than enthusiastic and when she hung up the phone she received a worried look from Serah. "I told you. This is how it starts. Next thing I know you're on the front lines again and I'm watching the news hoping to not see your name."

Claire puts her arms around her sister and pulls her into a warm hug. "It won't come to that, Serah. We're probably just going on standby, nothing more."

She gets up off the couch with a groan and makes her way to her room, lays out her uniform and heads to the shower. The steaming hot shower is refreshing, it takes away the last remnants of her soreness and her headache clears away by the time she steps out and wraps a towel around her. She put on her uniform and strapped her favorite weapon, a gunblade named Blazefire, to her waist. She checked the weapon closely to make sure it was operational then walked out into the living room. Serah was waiting for her at the front door. She ran up and threw her arms around her sister's neck. "Claire..."

"Don't worry, Serah." She put her arms around Serah's waist. "Whatever happens, I'll come back."

"You had better."

Claire gave her sister a kiss on the forehead then walked out of the door, seeing her face as the door shut and hoping like she always did that it wouldn't be for the last time. She hopped into her white, two seater car, a gift for her service during the war, and took off to the local headquarters of the Sanctum military. The headquarters is a flat building in the center of Bodhum that looks like a five point star with entrances at each point. Each of the entrances leads to a different division. Lightning, being a commissioned officer, took the door that led to the barracks.

"Sergeant Farron, you're late."

Her commander, Captain Amodar, stood waiting for her at the entrance to the barracks. She stopped and smartly saluted, a salute that he returned. "I wasn't exactly prepared, sir."

"None of us were, Farron." Amodar looked as if he had just crawled out of her as well, his hair a mess and his uniform wrinkled in certain places. "Walk with me." Amodar spun on his heels and Lightning fell into step beside him as they walked around the barracks. "As you must know by now there have been a rising number of raids on our border towns. The Sanctum had come up with evidence that it is Pulse who is orchestrating these raids."

"Why would Pulse attack our settlements? What could they find of value to them there?"

Amodar shrugged. "That's way above my pay grade. All I know is I've been ordered to send a squad to run some reconnaissance at the border. Lightning, I want your squad on this mission."

A feeling instantly overtook Claire, a feeling that something was wrong with the mission. She couldn't explain it, nor could she defy her orders, but the feeling was definitely there. "Yes, sir."

"I knew you'd be up for this. Get your men ready, you're shipping out at 1600 hours."

Amodar walked away leaving a stunned Lightning to return to her squad with the bad news. She had to remind herself that this was just a recon mission, just recon. _This isn't a battle, sis._

When she entered her squad's bunk room she found them waiting for her. Her Lieutenant, Lee Trystan, saluted her as she entered. "Do we have a mission, Sergeant?"

She saluted back. "We're running recon near the border. Get everyone suited up we're leaving at 1600."

"Roger."

By four o'clock the squad was ready to roll and she waited with them on the landing pad for their transport shuttle. They spotted it flying low over the base before it set down on the pad. Lightning noticed it wasn't their usual shuttle and that the shuttle hadn't even come from the base. It had Sanctum markings all over it. Lightning shrugged it off, now that the Sanctum ran the military just about all of their uniforms and weapons bore some kind of Sanctum mark on them. It bothered her but not enough to say anything, her job was all that kept her and Serah in a place to live and she wasn't going to jeopardize that for such a small concern.

The five of them boarded the shuttle and strapped themselves in for takeoff. As they flew Lightning noticed that the windows that would normally show a breathtaking aerial view of Bodhum as they passed it were blacked out. A sinking feeling settled into the pit of her stomach and for the second time that day she had a bad feeling about the mission.

-SAVAGE-

It was a bright, autumn day and Dia Vanille was heading out to procure reagents. She was apprenticed to the clan healer and she needed to procure some broadleaf for their healing potions. She tied the laces to her knee-high boots, belted her reagent bag at her side and tucked her gathering gloves into her belt. She ran through her mental checklist and realized she forgot something, she fetched two bottles from her room and tucked them into her belt. The bottles were full of a substance that would smoke uncontrollably when it came into contact with oxygen. She would use it as a smoke bomb to escape some of the more dangerous predators of Pulse.

Her checklist fulfilled she was ready to head out. She stepped out of her house and took a deep breath of the clean, open air. She loved Oerba, the crisp mountain air, the steady source of game and reagents and the tight community to which she was a part. What she didn't like was the coldness of the winter, a season which was fast approaching. It seemed that no matter how many blankets she covered herself with she could never get warm. Today, however, was a perfect day for gathering, the temperature was just right and the surrounding area had been quiet over the last season. She had yet to see a predator this year and she wanted to keep it that way.

She walked through town and every passerby waved to her or bowed their head in greetings. As the youngest daughter of the Dia clan and the apprentice to the local shaman she was quite well known in the town. An old woman whom she had helped recently came up to her and took her hands. "Thank you so much, that balm you gave me works wonders."

Vanille patted her hands and blushed a little. "It wasn't all me, it was lady Reyna who showed me how."

"But it was you who made it, lady Vanille. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." Vanille was beaming as she walked away from the old woman, it always made her feel good to know she was helping the people around her. As she approached the city gates she spotted a familiar face adjusting her spear on her back. "Fang." She called out to her best friend, who had been like a sister to her for all her life, and ran up to her.

Fang was tall and beautiful, her long dark hair fell down her back, her typical blue sari hung down to her waist leaving her arms bare to show off the hunter's mark she bore on her arm. As the eldest daughter of the Yun clan Fang had become one of the city's most decorated hunters, earning quite a lot of fame for one as young as she. Now she was standing with several other hunters preparing to leave the town in search of food. When Vanille ran up Fang faced her best friend with a smile. "Hey, Van." She noticed that Vanille was dressed to leave. "Where are you off to?"

"I'm heading out to the fields. Our stocks of broadleaf are low and it's a pretty day today so I thought I would gather some."

Fang snapped her fingers and one of the men that was with her stepped forward. "I'm sending him with you. It's not safe out there."

"We haven't seen a single behemoth all summer and if I do see one I have my escape plan right here." She patted her side where the flasks containing her smoke substance rested against her hip. "I'll be fine."

"You never know, Vanille. I just want you to be safe."

Fang had always been protective with Vanille. When they were younger no one would ever think about talking bad to Vanille in fear of getting a beat down from Fang. Vanille used to think she had a crush on Fang but as she grew older she realized what it was, Fang was the sister that she had always wanted. Still, Vanille would sometimes get annoyed with her sister's protectiveness, like now. "Fang, I'll be fine."

At seeing Vanille's face turned to a pout with her arms crossed cutely across her chest Fang gave in and decided not to press the argument further. She would only serve to make Vanille angry. "Fine, but if you see anything out there your run, hear me?"

"I know, sis." She threw her arms around Fang's neck and gave her a hug, a hug which Fang returned. "You be careful too."

Fang stood tall and smirked down at her much shorter sister. "You've got nothing to worry about." She turned back to the other hunter's and called to them, "Move out."

Vanille stood and watched the ten hunters file out of the city gates and waited for them to be out of sight before leaving the gates herself to head out to the meadows where she would find the herb she was looking for. She followed the path for several miles before she found the meadow and marveled at how lovely it looked on this day, the way the sun shone on the grass that swayed gently in the breeze, the smell of fresh vegetation that would soon die before winter's freeze, the soft buzz of insects that flitted from plant to plant. She loved this place and would often come here even when she wasn't looking for reagents, when all she wanted was to be alone and meditate on her life, but today she was on a mission.

She walked hunched low to the ground and scanned the underbrush until she found what she was looking for, a short plant with long, wide leaves commonly known as broadleaf that had a variety of medical uses including purifying toxins from the bloodstream. She put on her gloves and gently pulled at the leaf of the plant then, taking a small knife she had on her belt, cleanly sliced the leaf off and placed it in her bag.

She did this until she had filled the bag then stood and cracked her back which was sore from having been bent over so long. She stretched and yawned, she had been out here for almost an hour and was starting to get tired when she heard a deep growl behind her and stopped dead in her tracks. She turned her head and saw out of the corner of her eye a large cat that stood as tall as she did. It's fangs were bared and she had to calm herself. _Okay, don't panic. That's what the smoke bombs are for._

The cat snarled as it circled Vanille, she took one of the flasks into her hand and gripped it tight. When she stood upright the creature lunged forward, jaws open and large teeth waiting to devour her. She turned to run and tossed the flask, hitting the creature in the face. The glass shattered and as soon as it's contents were exposed to oxygen they started to pour out black smoke. Vanille ran away, not stopping to see whether the creature was still chasing her. The cat, having been struck in the face by the smoke bomb inhaled a large amount of the smoke and fell to it's haunches short of breath. Unable to see or breath it abandoned the chase in favor of it's own survival and slunk away back to it's cave.

Vanille's feet hit the dirt of the main road but she still kept running. She ran for nearly a mile before looking behind her to see if the car was still after her. It wasn't and she sighed in relief. With her bag full and the cat routed she counted this mission a complete success. She made her way back down the road and to the village in high spirits arriving just before the sun set.

When she walked through the door to the shaman's house Mother Reyna, as she was called, was busily preparing some herbs into a poultice. She looked up when Vanille entered with her bag. "I've been looking for you. Where have you been?"

Vanille dropped the bag on a table and started taking out the leaves inside. "I went out for broadleaf. I noticed we were out."

Without looking up from her poultice she frowned. "You went by yourself?"

"Well, the hunters were busy and..."

"I'm not scolding you, Vanille. You're a woman grown, you can do as you please, but I urge you to be careful. The wilds are dangerous, do not underestimate them."

Vanille returned to her work. The mother was right of course, if it had been something bigger then she might not have gotten away and no one would have known where to look for her. She felt ashamed of herself for being so careless but a look from the mother quelled those fears and told her everything was going to be alright. "At least you were successful. Bring a few leaves here, I could use then for this poultice."

-SAVAGE-

The transport landed and Lightning's squad disembarked and looked around them. The sun was setting over the fields that they had landed in, the tall grass swaying in a gentle breeze with the silhouettes of trees and gentle hills on the horizon. To spite the peacefulness of their surroundings, however, Lightning couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

As soon as the last man exited the transport the doors sealed and it prepared for liftoff. The last man, a private first class by the name of Rogers, looked around him with a strange look on his face. "Sergeant Farron, I thought this was a border recon mission."

"It is. Why?"

"I'm from Rabanastre so I've been to the border and this isn't it."

At hearing his assessment Lightning's feeling jumped from bad to worse. "If we're not at the border then where the hell are we?"

"My guess is that we're further south."

"So the transport dropped us inside Pulse? We're behind enemy lines." The thought unsettled her but there was nothing she could do about it now. The transport was long gone and she had no way to get a hold of it. Radio silence was demanded for this mission so their communicators were disabled. She sighed. "There's only one thing we can do. Complete the mission and wait for extraction. Our target location is to the south so let's move out."

Rogers took point as he seemed more familiar with the area and the men fell into formation behind him. Lightning brought up the rear, her deepening anxiety about he mission hidden behind her practiced stoicism. They walked south past the field and into a jungle area with tight spaces and little visibility. As the sun went down the team lit up their flashlights to guide them amongst barely worn paths that disappeared only to reappear yards ahead. This place was wild and not many men had ever walked beneath these trees, Lightning was not happy to be the first.

The trees eventually started to give and before long they found themselves with some breathing room. The men eased up a bit and Lightning exhaled, maybe this mission wouldn't be a total disaster after all. She heard a rustle from the trees behind her and winced, maybe she had thought too soon.

"Fru kuac drana?"

The call came from their right and all five guns turned to that direction. A rustling from the trees behind them let Lightning know that they were surrounded. _So much for an easy recon mission._ "Show yourselves." Lightning called out into the darkness but there was no immediate response. After a few moments a figure stepped out of the darkness, the only thing visible was green eyes.

"I asked who goes there but I can clearly see you are from Cocoon. Ehcinkahdc vnus Cocoon." She could hear rustling as three more men stepped from the shadows, each with a bow trained at them. "What are you doing here, so far from your country?"

"We're lost."

At that the figure, a woman by the sound of her voice, laughed as did Lightning's men and the few in the trees who understood Cocoonian. "You sure brought a lot of firepower to be lost with."

"I won't let them take me. These people are animals, who knows what they'll do to us." Lightning heard one of her men whisper and the sentiment seemed to gain ground. If it came down to it none of these men were willing to be captured, they would die first. _Great, I get the squad of lonely, chivalric men. _

"Put down your weapons and we will show you to our village."

Lightning dropped her weapon, she for one was not willing to die here. "Everyone, drop your weapons."

None of the soldiers did, choosing this moment to be insubordinate. "You mean to enslave us, Pulsian. We have the guns so why don't you put down your weapons."

"Gemm res."

At the woman's command arrows flew out from the trees and struck down the man who had spoken. As his body fell to the ground dead chaos erupted. Four guns started firing and the woman who had been in front of them flipped out of the way. The soldiers stood in a row and emptied their guns at the darkness but didn't accomplish much as the enemy was hidden. As soon as the firing started more arrows came from the trees and with the soldier's poor visibility they were at a serious disadvantage. Lightning watched as one of her men was struck by three arrows from the front and back and go down in a bloody heap with his weapons still firing.

Lightning knelt to retrieve her dropped weapon. "Fall back to the trees, dammit. Retreat." She shouted but it was too late. She watched another man fall to arrows they couldn't see. It was down to her and Rogers and he ran towards her meaning to fall back. "Come on, Rogers. Hurry." From out of nowhere the woman, who must have been the leader, stepped up and jabbed her spear into his throat. Rogers gurgled as he fell to the ground and Lightning knew that she would soon join them.

She held her blade as the warrior turned to face her and their eyes met. Lightning sent off a prayer to any god that was listening, the woman raised a hand and the rain of arrows stopped. "Drec uha ec seha."

The woman and Lightning circled each other. _If I'm going to die here, then I'm taking this bitch with me._ Lightning attacked first, a simple jab to test her oppenent's skill. Fang dodged it and countered with her own jab. Lightning back stepped and they circled each other again. Both women were well versed in combat but Lightning had a speed advantage on the Pulsian woman.

Lightning took full advantage of this, using her speed advantage to hit and run her opponent. She would jump in for an attack and fall back before the counter strike could fall. The Pulsian woman stayed on the defensive, trying to counter Lightning's speed advantage by making her opponent come to her.

Lightning leapt in for the attack and the Pulsian backed up. Lightning, seeing this as an opportunity, kept up the attack. Her blade flashed through the air and came out red as she earned a hit on her opponent's right arm. This only seemed to anger the Pulsian, however, who seemed to have had enough of defending and decided to do some attacking of her own.

She used the reach of her spear to fend off Lightning's attacks and to corral her into a vulnerable position. Lightning fell back and winced when she felt a solid object hit her back, she had backed into a tree. With the advantage of her speed removed she was at the mercy of the Pulsian woman who rained blows at her with her spear. Lightning tried to deflect them but missed two, one to her right shoulder and another to her left abdomen.

Lightning wasn't out of the fight yet, however. After reflecting an ill placed attack to her head she stepped passed the woman and kicked her into the tree. The woman, not expecting the counter, hit the tree face first and felt the deep cut that Lightning's blade made in her back. She growled and spun around, dodging the follow up attack from Lightning.

They circled each other again, this time wounded and angry. "Oui'na kuut." Lightning can't understand her speech but her body language says it all. 'Let's end this'.

Lightning shouted a warcry as she charged the woman, her blade singing through the air as she spun around her opponent trying to create an opening. The Pulsian woman's spear moved fast but her anger was making her reckless and Lightning eventually found her opening. With a dramatic thrust she drove the point of her sword forward, catching the Pulsian woman in her right shoulder inches away from her heart. She didn't have time to revel in the hit as she felt a sting from her stomach and looked down to see that the woman had stabbed her with a knife.

She let go of the sword, which the woman pulled painfully from her shoulder, and took two steps backwards. Her hands were covered in blood and her vision was blurring. She fell to her knees and the Pulsian woman punched her hard in the face, knocking her to the ground. The last thing she heard before she passed out was the woman shouting, "Pnehk ran."

_Author's Note:_

_The Pulsian language can be translated using the Al Bhed cipher from FFX. The reason the dialogue is in English in Vanille's POV and in Pulsian in Lightning's POV is that Lightning can't understand the language._


	2. Chapter 2

The morning sun rose over the hills around Oerba Village and Vanille was already awake and dressed to see it come up. An early riser by nature she always found the sunrise to be beautiful and comforting, a perfect start to her day. She was practically skipping this morning she was feeling so good. As she neared Mother Reyna's home she caught a chill wind on the air and knew that something was awry.

For starters there seemed to be a crowd developing at the door. Vanille walked up and a few of the townsfolk turned to face her, their faces and voices full of questions that she had no answers for. "I don't really know anything. Excuse me." She pushed passed the crowd and opened the door to the mkther's house. She smelled the sweet smell of the healing poultices they made and she got a bad feeling. _Please don't be Fang, please be okay._

She walks through the door and sees Fang sitting on a table. Her shirt is off and she can see the fresh wounds still bleeding. "Hey, Van."

Vanille didn't see the Mother anywhere so she sprung into action. She found their prepared bottles of healing potion and some bandages and prepared a couple of poultices for her wounds. She approached and rubbed some unguent on her wounds, Fang winced at the burning sensation, then she wrapped them with the poultices. "Fang, what happened out there? And where is Mother Reyna?"

At that moment the Mother came out of the backroom, her hair a mess and her clothes covered in blood. She spotted Vanille and perked up. "Vanille, thank Etro. I need your help."

She almost dragged Vanille into the back room where a woman was laying on the bed, her abdomen bloody and a few wounds on her body. She approached the body and saw that her skin was white and her hair was pink, definitely not from Pulse. Being on the southern side of the continent Pulsians tended towards dark skin and hair, this woman was from Cocoon. Being on the north end of the continent the Cocoonians tended towards light skin and hair.

Vanille walked over to the woman with the pink hair and looked her over. She was definitely fit, as fit as Fang if she had to guess, and even through the bruises on her face Vanille could tell that she was pretty. She looked so peaceful in her sleep and Vanille couldn't help but gush. _Oh, she's adorable._

"Vanille?" The Mother's voice broke her from the trance she hadn't realized she had been in. The Mother handed her a needle and thread. "I need you to suture her stomach wound. I would do it myself but my hands are too shaky today."

Vanille had sutured a wound before so she was no stranger to the task. She approached the woman and found the deep knife wound in her abdomen. Taking a damp cloth she cleaned around the wound and prepared her needle. She ever so lightly touched the woman's skin and found it to be soft, smooth and warm. She wondered what it would feel like to be lying in bed on a cold day with her wrapped around her like a blanket. She wondered what it would be like to be touched by her, held by her, kissed by her...

"Vanille?"

Once again the Mother's voice broke her from a trance she hadn't realized she was in. It bothered her that this woman had an effect on her but she shook it off and focused on the task at hand. She calmly closed the wound on the woman's stomach then set the needle down on a nearby table. Mother Reyna went to inspect the job and nodded in approval. "Great needlework, though you seem a bit distracted."

"It's nothing, Mother."

Her attention returned to the woman on the bed. She wondered what color her eyes were, what her voice sounded like, whether she liked to dance, what her hair looked like after she had just woken up, what foods she liked to eat. She wanted to know so much more about the woman but mostly she wanted to know about Cocoon. She had heard about Cocoon from some of the villagers, though none had been there themselves, and from what she had gathered it was a wicked and sinful place. Now she wasn't sure though. _There's no way this angel came from a sinful place._

"I can take it from here. Why don't you see to Fang?"

She shook off her thoughts. "Yeah, yeah okay." She left the room with a quick look back at the woman on the table and found Fang putting her sari back on. "So, are you going to tell me what happened? Who is she and why is she here?"

"We were out hunting last night and we found some Cocoonians snooping around. We questioned them but they opened fire so we were forced to kill them. That woman," she pointed into the next room, "but up a hell of a fight so I brought her back here."

"Why did you let her live?"

Fang smirked. "To ask her why they were here. Their up to no good, I just know it. Damned Cocoonians." Fang had an unnatural hatred for all things Cocoon. Perhaps it stemmed from her father, Yun Marko the patriarch of the Yun clan, who also had an immense hatred for Cocoon having lost a father and two brothers in the last war between them. "If it weren't for that I would have killed her with my bare hands."

She flexed her arms and winced when the wound in her right shoulder stretched. Vanille checked her bandage to make sure she hadn't torn it open then reset it. "You should go home and rest, Fang. Don't do anything to aggravate that wound."

"Yes, Mother."

Fang smirked at her as she walked away. "And don't call me that." Vanille called after her as she walked out of the house. _Stubborn woman. Those wounds must have come from that woman on the bed. She must be pretty strong to hurt Fang like that._ There was very little in the wilds that scared Fang. Her best friend had risen to the rank of hunter at an early age and became a bit of a celebrity in the city. Everyone knew the story of how the badass huntress who had taken down a behemoth before she was even of age, but what they didn't know was that she had done it to save Vanille's life. That part they kept to themselves.

Ever since then Vanille had always been by Fang's side, even when she started apprenticing with Mother Reyna she always made time for her favorite person. Her parents had been hopeful that the two of them would marry as both Fang and Vanille were available and the Yuns were a clan of very high standing but Vanille didn't have those feelings for her. They were best friends and nothing more.

Her mind wandered back to the pink haired woman in the bed and she decided to check up on her. She turned around and was about to walk to the other room when the front door opened and she turned to see one of her younger brothers walk in, her brother Barin. "Vanille, there you are. Dad wants to see you."

"But I'm helping the Mother. Can't it wait?"

"He said it's important."

Vanille groaned, knowing exactly what her father considered important. "Alright, let's go."

She poked her head into the other room to tell the Mother where she was headed then followed her brother down the twisting streets of Oerba and to the Dia clan home. Her family lived in a moderate sized house on the edge of town. A clan of modest means her father had been a blacksmith before a monster attack had left him without the use of his right arm. After that he dedicated his life to seeking out the perfect husband for his only daughter.

They walked up the wooden walkway to the house proper and entered. They found Vanille's father, Dia Faren, sitting at the table next to his wife, Vanille's mother Dia Greta. "Vanille, excellent timing. I have great news to share with you today."

Vanille sat down across from her father. "What news, father?"

"I have found you a husband."

She had had a strong feeling that was what he had wanted to see her about. She sighed. "Father..."

"Hear me out, Vanille. I'm not going to be around forever and neither is your mother. It would make me happy to know that you are cared for after I am gone. I only want what's best for you, my daughter."

"Then why do you want me to marry someone I've never met." Vanille had adamantly refused to marry any of the men her father had brought around for her. She understood the clan structure as well as anyone and knew that without a husband it would be far more difficult for her but she wanted more than financial security in her life. Was it too selfish to ask for love? "I don't to marry him."

Her father was starting to lose his patience. "That's enough of that, you're not a child anymore so stop acting like one. Now the man I've found for you is wealthy and from good stock. You are going to marry him and that is final."

"But I don't love him."

"That is final, Vanille." Her father's tone supported his claim and Vanille knew better than to push farther, she would only serve to anger her father and make him more stubborn. "He will be visiting here at the end of the week. I want you ready to meet him by then, alright Vanille?"

"Yes, Father." She droned, wanting nothing more than to be away from the table and her father. "May I return to the Mother, she has need of me."

"Of course. we will see you tonight for dinner."

Vanille left the house in a far more dour mood than she had been before. She longed to bury herself in her work and headed back to Mother Reyna's house to see what she could do to help.

-SAVAGE-

Lightning woke up to a pounding headache and a pain in her stomach and face. Her left eye was swollen up enough to hinder her vision and sitting up proved to be an incredibly painful process for her. She gave up after her third attempt and lay back down on the slightly uncomfortable bed. Her mouth was dry and parched and she felt hungry.

She heard the door open and turned her head to see a young woman walking up to her. She was clearly Pulsian, her red hair pulled into ponytails on each shoulder and her green eyes looking right at her. Her clothes were mostly animal hides and she was thin and small. _A lot like Serah._ When the girl noticed her awake she turned around and ran to the door. "Sudran, cra ec yfyga."

The young woman was joined by a much older woman with darker skin and much grayer hair. By the look of her she was at least sixty if not older. She approached the bed and checked Lightning's wounds, Lightning winced as she pressed down on her stomach wound. She said some words in Pulsian to the young woman who translated for Lightning. "You should remain still. You are not yet healed."

The two Pulsians stepped away from the bed and she could hear them talking back and forth in Pulsian to each other. "Water." Her throat burned and her voice was cracked, it hurt for her to speak. "Water."

The young woman heard her and turned her head back to the older woman. "Cra haatc fydan." The younger woman stepped out of the room and returned a minute later with a clay cup full of water. "Here, drink."

Lightning took the cup and greedily drank it in one pull. The water tasted heavenly to her, though whether it was the dryness in her throat or the pure, clean taste of the water she couldn't tell. The water was definitely purer than anything in Cocoon, that was for sure. The young girl took the cup and left to fill it. The older woman left with her and it was she who returned with the cup. Lightning drank the water and wondered what had become of the younger woman.

Lightning lay her head back and stared at the ceiling and her thoughts first went to her sister. She had no idea how much time had passed since she left but by now someone from the military must have informed Serah about her being missing. She imagined her sister crying at the news and just the thought of it devastated her. _Don't worry, Serah. I'll find my way out of here. I will keep my promise._

Some time passed while she lay there with only the old woman to keep her company. A few times the woman would try to converse with her in her language but Lightning didn't understand so she eventually gave up and just sat quietly watching her. She seemed like she was waiting for something and Lightning wondered what she was waiting for. Her answer came when the young woman returned with a large man and a woman she recognized as the person she had fought in the woods.

The man took one look at her and turned to the woman, a woman who looked remarkably like him. Lightning reasoned she must be his daughter. They conversed for a bit in Pulsian before he took a chair from out of her view and pulled it up to the bed. He sat down and looked her in the eyes. "Where are you from?" He spoke in broken basic, his accent thick in his deep voice.

Lightning didn't respond.

"What are you doing here?"

Again, Lightning didn't respond. She merely fixed him with a cold glare from her blue eyes, a glare that he returned. He was a powerful man but she was powerful as well. He didn't know how to handle it. "Why did you come to Oerba." When she didn't respond again he balled his fist and punched the bed frame right next to her face. It splintered from the force of his hit but her eyes never left his and never showed any fear. "Do you know how to speak?"

"Not to you."

The man groaned. He noticed her jacket lying on the floor next to the bed, a camouflage number with the stripes of her rank on the shoulder. "This is a soldier's jacket. Are you a soldier?" As he had come to expect, Lightning had no response for him. He sighed and looked up at her daughter. "Fryd huf?"

Lightning looked up at the woman with malice in her eyes. "If you think I'm going to talk, you're mistaken. You should have killed me."

"That's still an option." Her accent was not as thick as her father's but it was apparent that basic was a second language to her. "Don't think I showed you mercy."

"Fang, that's enough." The man held up his hand and Fang stopped with a grimace. "She is tough, a warrior of her people. We will not get anything useful out of her."

The man stood and the man and woman turned to leave. "Am I your prisoner?"

They stopped and the man turned to face her. "No, but winter is coming and you will not be able to leave the village. Winters in Oerba are hard and you will be alone. You are not our prisoner, but that will be a small comfort to you."

Fang and her father walked out of the room leaving her with the old woman and the young woman who had brought her water. The old woman said something in Pulsian then left the room as well leaving her with just the young woman who seemed wary of her. The young woman started to change her bandages, a tender process that she did with precision. Lightning was impressed. When she was done she sat down in the chair next to the bed and fixed her with a nervous look. "My name is Vanille. What's your name?"

Lightning laid her head back on the bed and closed her eyes. A sigh escaped her lips at her current dilemma. She looked over and saw Vanille sitting with her hands in her lap and her face cast down to the floor. Something about her posture told her that the girl, Vanille, must be worried about something. _What could be the harm in telling her my name? It's not my real name anyway. "_Lightning."

"Lightning? That's a weird name." Vanille put her finger up to her forehead in a thinking gesture. It was adorable. "It's not much of a name at all, really. Lightning's a thing not a person."

_Is this girl really making fun of my name? _"Whatever."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you."

Lightning opened her right eye and looked at Vanille. Her face and tone of voice told her that she was sincere but Lightning couldn't care less right now. All that mattered to her was finding a way out of the village before winter set in. A task that was looking far too daunting at the moment. "Whatever."

Relief spread across Vanille's face and the look reminded Lightning of Serah. Just the thought of her sister was painful so she closed her eye and laid back down again. "You should get some more rest. It will help you heal better."

Resting was the last thing Lightning felt like doing but the one thing she needed most. Her body was still sore from her fight with the woman named Fang and the wound in her belly hurt whenever she moved so she tried not to and found herself drifting back to sleep after a short time.

-SAVAGE-

Vanille watched the strange woman named Lightning as she fell asleep and wondered what was going to become of her. Yun Marko had been right, after winter set in there was no leaving the village. The plains and the woods that were so beautiful in autumn became a nightmare in winter, long stretches of no man's land with no food or water for miles. Most of the animals in the area went into hibernation so for the month before winter the hunters would go out and stock up on enough meat to last the village through the winter. It was a very busy month for them.

He was also right that she would be alone in the village and that meant trouble for her. As a foreigner she would not have access to the town's food stores and as a Cocoonian no one in the town would give her any food, most had little enough to spare. Without a clan to support her or anyone to help her she would be lost and would end up starving to death. He had been right, she was not a prisoner she was a sacrifice.

She looked down at the soldier, at her green tank top and military pants with a pouch strapped to her leg, at her pink hair that stopped at her shoulder blades, at her slim yet muscular figure, and made a choice. She was not going to let her die, she was going to help her. Her father would disapprove, he would rant and yell, he would threaten to lock her away forever but he would relent before her iron will. _I will save you, Lightning, whatever it takes._

She brushed aside an errant pink hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. She noticed her facial expressions flicker and her mouth move as if she were shouting. The muscles in her arms twitched as if she were fighting a phantom opponent. _Even in sleep she finds no rest._

A yawn escaped Vanille's mouth and she stretched her arms back out of the chair. She hadn't realized how late it had gotten or how tired she was. She walked out of the Mother's house and noticed the sun was already on the horizon, she groaned when she realized that she had missed dinner and wasn't looking forward to the talking to she would get from her mother. She was already devising exactly what to say to her on her way to her house.

When she entered the Dia house she found her mother and father in the sitting room, sitting on their comfortable pillows and reading a seperate copy of the same book. It was something she found odd about her parents, she always wondered why they bought two copies of the same book. Why can't they just share one? "Mom, dad, sorry I missed dinner. I was..."

"You were helping the Mother look after that foreign woman."

Vanille had a surprised look on her face. She had been expecting to be admonished by her mother and father but instead they seemed to know the truth already. "You know already?"

"Daughter, there were ten hunters on that expedition. The whole town already knows."

Vanille sat down on one of the pillows that lined the floor of the room and her parents out down their books to talk with her. "So tell me, what is she like?"

Vanille regaled them with what little she had experienced with Lightning, leaving out the part where she told her her name. Her parents listened intently, eager for any news of the foreigner amongst them. It was something that never happened and in the tight community of Oerba news traveled fast and whoever knew the most had power. "Yun Marko and Fang went to talk to her but she wouldn't tell them anything."

Her father seemed impressed. "Marko couldn't get anything out of her. She must be tough."

"She would have to be to stand toe to toe with his brute of a daughter." Her mother added.

"Now Greta, that is Vanille's best friend you're talking about." Her father maintained good relations with the Yuns, mostly due to Vanille's friendship with Fang. "What does Marko intend to do with her? That's the question."

"He said that she wasn't their prisoner, that they were letting her go."

"Is that right?" Her father raised an eyebrow at the news. "She'll have to fend for herself through the winter. That's a death sentence."

"I want to help her."

At first she thought her parents didn't hear her but her mother looked over to her. "What was that, darling?"

She steeled herself and repeated what she had said, this time with more confidence. "I said, I want to help her."

"Nonsense." Her father was blunt and his tone said he would have no dissent. "That woman is not our concern."

"But she'll die, you said so yourself."

"I will not have that foreign woman in my house." Her fafher's voice rose, he was getting agitated by this conversation and by his daughter's insistence on being stubborn. "What would the town think of us harboring her like a fugitive?"

"But father..."

"That is enough Vanille." Her father grew stern, he had had enough of this talk. "You should be worried about meeting your future husband, not about some strange woman. This man will be the one to take care of you when I'm gone. The future of your family, Vanille, that is what's important."

Vanille stayed quiet after that. She had expected her fafher's dissent and had even planned for it. She didn't need him to help Lightning. She would do it in her own way. Her mother hated to see them fight and was usually quick to defuse the situation. "Vanille, there is food still on the table for you. Please eat."

"Thanks, mother." Vanille loved her mother, she always secretly supported her in her constant battles with her father. Her father was difficult but Vanille knew that he always did what he thought was best for her. That was what made her feelings of frustration towards her father so much more pronounced. She loved him and she knew that he loved her and that made it impossible for her to hate him.

She got up and found what was left of a roast duck waiting for her on the table. She devoured it, not realizing how hungry she had been, and when she was done she washed all the plates then headed off to her bedroom. The house was rather drafty and she often found herself cold at nights, especially now that winter was right around the corner. She stripped her clothes off and wrapped herself in all her blankets and furs, still cold to spite all the cloth, and laid her head down on her pillow. The last thing she thought of before falling asleep was how warm Lightning had felt.


	3. Chapter 3

"Water."

Vanille could hear Lightning yelling from the front door even before she opened it and went inside. There she found Mother Reyna trying to figure out what Lightning was saying, she didn't speak a word of basic. Lightning was sitting up on the bed and must have thought she could break the language barrier with sheer volume. She turned around and when she noticed Vanille she perked up. "She has been yelling all morning and I can't understand her. I have been trying to change her bandages but she won't let me near her. I'm getting fed up with this rude, inconsiderate woman."

Vanille had heard her and immediately went to retrieve a cup of water. When she returned she handed the cup to Lightning with her best smile. "Here you go. Mother doesn't speak very good basic so you'll have to bear with her."

Mother Reyna bowed her head in Vanille's direction. "I'll leave her to you then."

She walked away muttering curses in Pulsian and left just Vanille and Lightning in the room. Lightning downed the cup of water and Vanille went to refill it. When she returned she had a piece of roast duck on a plate. "I thought you might be hungry so I brought this for you." Lightning didn't hesitate. She took the plate from Vanille, quite rudely, and tore into the tender meat ravenously. She hadn't eaten in at least two days as far as Vanille knew and she was eating like it. "Slow down, you don't want to choke."

Lightning didn't seem to care, continuing to devour the duck with reckless abandon. Whenever her cup would run out Vanille would run to refill it so that by the time she reached for it again it was full. When Lightning was finished Vanille was surprised to see the plate still there and intact. She chuckled and took the plate back to the kitchen. When she returned Lightning was laying back down again with one arm thrown over her forehead. She opened one eye and looked at Vanille who was sheepishly watching her. "Thank you."

"You look like you needed that." Vanille was smiling as she approached the bed. She felt nervous as she got closer to the woman, she needed to change her bandages but something about touching the woman seemed to make her nervous. She remembered how warm she had been the previous day and the memory made her feel more at ease. Lightning shut her eye again but opened it when Vanille started to life her tank top. "I need to change your bandages."

Lightning nodded to indicate that she understood and lifted her shirt up to just short of her breasts giving Vanille an ample look at her toned stomach. Vanille gulped and felt flush for a reason she didn't understand then set to work on changing her red stained bandages. "I told you not to move. See, you've reopened it."

Vanille set herself to cleaning and redressing the wound. "Why bother?" Lightning's voice is sullen. "I'm as good as dead."

Hearing the defeat in Lightning's voice made Vanille angry, after she had decided to go against her fafher's wishes and help this woman all she wants to do is lay back and die. _That's not happening, woman. You're going to live._ "Don't say that." She looks directly into Lightning's crystal blue eyes to hammer the point home. "They only win when you give up."

"But I can't..."

"I know, I didn't say it would be easy. Just don't give up on me, okay?"

Lightning looked her in the eyes and to Vanille they seemed like the eyes of a caged animal, yearning to be free again. Vanille's heart skipped a beat, to see such beautiful eyes with such a defeated look. She wanted to see them full of life, she wanted to see them angry and happy, full of hope and pride not loss. She wanted to see her happy.

Lightning didn't say anything, but turned away until Vanille was finished with her bandages. She unwound the last one carefully, the one wrapped around Lightning's stomach, and had to look away from the ugly wound it left. It would scar, she knew that, but it looked to be healing at an impressive rate. She applied some more healing potion to it then wrapped new bandages around her. When she was done she balled up the old bandages and set them aside to be washed, then stood up from the bed. "There you go, that should feel better."

Lightning pulled her shirt down and laid back against the bed. Vanille took the bandages, stained red with Lightning's blood, and set them in a pile next to a water basin to clean them. She washed them thoroughly, thankful that she didn't have to do this outside anymore. The days had grown colder and she knew it wouldn't be long before the snow came down from the mountain and made Oerba a nightmare. Being at the foot of the Andires mountains, when the snows fell and the temperature dropped the roads into and out of Oerba became impossible to travel. Slick ice and thick snows kept all except the bravest of hunters in their homes and the near zero temperatures kept most of the wildlife to their dens. Oerba became a veritable tundra.

Vanille heard a thump coming from the other room and rushed in to find Lightning sitting up on the bed with her blankets lying on the floor. She must have kicked them off when she sat up. Lightning tenderly stepped down onto her feet and stood up to her full height, standing much taller than Vanille. This was the first time Vanille had seen her standing, her toned body on display through her thin muscle shirt and panties with her pink hair hanging down her right shoulder. Vanille couldn't explain why the temperature of the room went up a few degrees or why she licked her lips sensually.

"You should be careful."

Lightning sat back down on the bed. "I'll be fine. I've been hurt worse than this." Lightning crossed her legs and set her arms beside them, she closed her eyes and started regulating her breathing. Vanille envied her reserve, she herself was somewhat high strung but Lightning seemed perfectly calm at the moment. Vanille watched her in awe for long minutes before she could speak. "A-are you hungry?"

Lightning opened one eye and looked at Vanille with it. "I could eat."

"Okay, then I'll go get us something to eat."

Vanille walked out of the room and walked straight out of the front door as she was feeling quite warm. As soon as the cold wind hit her skin, however, she leapt back into the house and retrieved her furs. She bundled up against the cold and stepped out again, heading across town to the town larder. It was there that every catch brought in by a hunter was processed and readied for consumption as well as the produce from the outlying farms. It was there that all food was stored and parceled out based on family size and amount contributed. A family like the Yuns, with as powerful a hunter as Fang behind them, received a large amount of food whereas a family like the Dias, who had a few hunters marry into the family but not very successful ones, relied on their family ties and marriages to keep themselves in food. They were counting on Vanille to marry into a prosperous family so that she could then provide for them in return.

Vanille, however, didn't want to marry. Ever since she turned sixteen her father had been trying to find a suitable match for her but she turned them all down. She had felt nothing for those men, they didn't interest her, and her father had been furious. Now she was twenty one and one of the oldest women in the village without a husband. Her father took it as a shame but she couldn't help her feelings. She didn't love them and secretly worried that she would never love. She hadn't shared this fear with anyone, not even her best friend, near sister, Fang.

"Hey, sis."

Vanille heard a familiar voice and turned to see her younger brother, Rodick, running up the road towards her. He was skinny, like her, with red hair cut short like her father's. He was his favorite and their father was planning on having him taught the hunter's trade by the Yuns. Fang had already agreed to teach him. "Roddy, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be at home."

"Yeah, and your supposed to be at the Mother's. What are you doing out here?"

She bit her lip. It would be difficult to explain to him why she was getting food for Lightning so she merely glossed over that part. "I'm going to get something to eat."

"Then I'll come with you."

Vanille acquiesced, she felt like she needed to spend more time with her siblings, and he followed her down to the larder. The larder was a long building set at the base of the hillside just inside the entrance to the town. It was placed there for ease of transport for the hunters since most of their quarry was quite heavy and would be a chore to lug across town. The building was home to the town's butchers who would process all the food brought in by the hunters and from the outlying farms and was also where it was distributed to the people.

Vanille and Rodick walked through the door and Vanille was glad to be out of the cold. They were approached by a handsome young man who nodded curtly to them before addressing them. "Hello, Ms. Dia. Are you picking something up for the Mother?"

With Mother Reyna's advanced age it as difficult for her to go to the larder so she would often send Vanille, who had become somewhat well known around the hunters due to her closeness to Fang. "No, actually I'm here for myself."

The young man and her younger brother both looked at her with surprise evident on their faces. Vanille pulled out several notes that she had borrowed from the family coffers and handed them over to the young man who inspected them for validity. When he was satisfied he put them in the drawer and walked to be back to retrieve her food. Rodick pulled at her sleeve to get her attention and whispered, "Where did you get those?"

Vanille leaned close and lied, "I got them from Mother Reyna." She grabbed him by the arm and gripped hard. "Promise me you won't tell dad."

"Ow." Vanille was gripping hard. "Okay, I promise."

Vanille let him to just as the boy came around the corner with a package wrapped in butcher's paper and a bag of vegetables. "Here you are, Ms. Dia. We'll see you next time."

Vanille took the packages from him and waved. "Bye." She left with her little brother in tow, who followed her up to the center of town when Vanille stopped. "Go home, Roddy."

Rodick folded his arms and pouted. "I want to see the foreigner."

"No, Roddy."

Vanille remained adamant so Rodick switched to beg mode. "Please, big sis. I won't say anything, I promise."

_She wouldn't understand you anyway._ Vanille sighed and, after trying to find a good reason to say no and coming up empty, finally relented. "Fine, but just a peek."

Rodick cheered and fell into step beside Vanille. "So is she weird? I heard that she was weird looking."

"Who told you that?"

Vanille's tone was sharp and reproachful and Rodick lowered his eyes. "I just heard is all."

"Well I happen to think she's beautiful." Vanille's face turned serious. "And sad, really sad."

They spent the rest of the walk to the Mother's in silence. When they got there Vanille opened the door and Rodick followed her in. She set the bags down on a table and stacked some wood in the metal stove to prepare the fire. She lit it carefully and when she had a good even heat she went to prepare the food when she noticed that Rodick wasn't in the room.

She peeked into the room where Lightning was staying and found her sleeping with her back to them, Rodick was creeping closer and closer. She watched as Rodick got within arm's reach and Lightning rolled over quickly with a bellow. Rodick's eyes turned wide and he yelled as he backed up straight into the door, trying to put as much distance between himself and the scary woman as possible. Vanille couldn't help her laughter, she laughed long and loud and earned a scolding look from her brother. She even swore she saw a smirk on Lightning's face but it was quickly replaced by her usual stoicism.

Vanille helped her little brother to his feet and held him from behind. "Roddy, this is Lightning. Say hi."

"Hi." Rodick looked sheepish and kicked his foot in a way that said he was embarrassed by his outburst. He gathered up all his courage and all his knowledge of basic and asked her, "Why is your hair pink, Ms. Lightning?"

"Why is your hair red?"

Rodick stopped to think about it. "Because my sister's is red."

"Well my sister's hair is pink."

Vanille was about to ask her about her sister but thought it best not to bring it up. Considering her current situation it was doubtful that she would ever see her sister again and she didn't want to bring that up. Instead she let her brother go. "I brought some food if you're hungry."

Lightning didn't reply, merely rolled back over, so Vanille went back into the kitchen and started cooking. She wasn't an amazing cook but her mother had taught her enough that after just over a half an hour she had a decent looking meal laid out on the table. Rodick had been sitting at the table watching his sister cook and brooding over being scared so easily. "Dad said that they were going to leave her to die. Why are you helping her?"

Vanille hadn't thought about the reason why, it just seemed like the right thing to do. "Because it's the right thing to do."

"She's from Cocoon," Rodick stated matter of factly, "dad says people from Cocoon are the enemy."

"Well dad isn't always right." The words felt like ash in her mouth but she spoke them with conviction. She loved her father but he was wrong about Lightning, she just knew it.

After setting the table Vanille went to wake Lightning, who still had her back turned to the door. She slowly walked closer to her and reached out, taking her by the shoulder and shaking her gently. "Hey, are you hungry? The food is ready."

Lightning rolled over and looked at her bleary eyed, Vanille was taken aback by how cute she was. Lightning's blue eyes were fixed on her, her lips pouted in a way that seemed adorable on the soldier and Vanille had the sudden and strong urge to kiss those lips. She fought it and stepped away from Lightning who rolled the rest of the way over and sat on the edge of the bed. Vanille was surprised at her own reaction to seeing Lightning half asleep, she found that she wanted to see Lightning like that more often.

Lightning rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stretched her arms. She stood up and winced from the small pain in her stomach, a wound which had improved a lot in the last two days, and followed Vanille into the main room where a table full of food was waiting for them. Lightning sat down and Vanille noticed her mouth was watering. She unceremoniously dug in, taking a little bit of everything onto her plate and devouring it as quickly as she could get it there. Vanille smiled to see the woman so energetic while Rodick looked at her oddly.

When she had enough she leaned back in the chair and sighed. "I think she likes your cooking, sis." Rodick told her in Pulsian so that Lightning couldn't understand him.

Vanille dismissed his comment and turned to Lightning. "Did you like the food?"

Lightning merely nodded, her expression changed to satisfaction as she reclined in the chair. Vanille couldn't help the smile that crossed her face, earlier in the day she had been ready to die but now she was smiling and full thanks to her. It made her feel good to help people, like she was lighter than air. She imagined she could fly if she wanted to, though she knew from experience not to try.

"That man said no one would help me." Lightning shifted back to somber and her eyes lowered to the table. "Why are you?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

Lightning hadn't expected the question and a subtle shift in her expression showed it. She paused, trying to find the words she needed to convey years of animosity between their cultures. "Because I'm from Cocoon. I'm your enemy."

"What have you ever done to me?" Lightning opened her mouth as if to answer then shut it, a pensive look crossed her face. "I want to help you because you seem like a good person. When I look into your eyes I don't see an enemy, I see a woman stuck in a bad spot who needs my help."

Lightning looked up from the table and into Vanille's eyes. She fell into that blue gaze and never wanted to get out. "Thank you."

Vanille unconsciously giggled then consciously kicked herself for doing it. "Don't mention it."

Lightning stretched her arms and yawned, quickly rethinking that when her stomach wound threatened to open. "I'm going to lie down."

She got up and headed for the room. Vanille called after her, "We need to change your bandages again soon."

When Lightning was out of sight Vanille let out a sigh and stood to clear the table. Rodick smiled up at her from his seat where he had quietly observed the two women together. "You like her, don't you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I can tell. You act differently around her than everyone else. You watch her a lot, your eyes lock with hers and you smile a lot when she talks to you, like you're happy that she notices you."

Vanille thought about it, the way she fell into her gaze, the warm feeling that ran through her when they touched, the way she had wanted to kiss her when she woke her up. _Could this be it? Have I finally found love?_ "You're pretty observant, aren't you?" She didn't know if what she felt for Lightning was love, it was too early to tell yet, but she did know that she had feelings for her that she had never felt before and that excited her. She was willing to explore those feelings, no matter where that took her. "I think you'll be a great hunter one day."

She tousled her little brother's hair. "Thanks, sis." He stood and stretched. "I'm going home now."

"Be careful." Roddy turned to leave, Vanille reminded him, "Don't tell mom or dad about this, okay?

"Okay."

Rodick left and Vanille turned her attention to clearing out the dishes. By the time she was done she turned around to see Mother Reyna sitting at the table. "How is our patient, Vanille? Still a pain in the ass?"

"She's fine, Mother. She's walking now."

"Good, then she can walk out of my clinic." She wondered if it was the language barrier that made her dislike Lightning, or if it was years of conditioning. There had been animosity between the two cultures for years now but to Vanille it was a distant feeling. The Mother had lost sons to Cocoon. "Have you changed her bandages?"

"Once already and I'm about to change them a second time."

This brought a smile to the Mother's face. "You're turning into quite the healer, Vanille. I heard your father found you a husband as well. I'm proud of you."

_That's right, I forgot about that._ She hadn't wanted to think about her father's new choice to be her husband. She didn't want to marry someone she had never met and likely didn't have any feelings for. But seeing the Mother smiling up at her she felt the pressure of years of cultural tradition. This was how things worked in Oerba and while she didn't like it she didn't want her family to suffer because of her. "Thanks, Mother."

"Why don't you head home, Vanille. I'll change the woman's bandages."

Vanille shook her head. "No, it's okay. I want to do it." If she was going to help Lightning against her people's wishes she was going to do it right. It would be nice to feel something like love before she had to marry someone she had never met to keep her family happy.

She changed Lightning's bandages, a bit awkwardly as she found herself looking for too long at Lightning's toned abs and stomach and found herself getting warm every time their skin touched or she felt the woman's steely eyes on her. Her hands shook slightly as she peeled the fabric away from the wound and applied another vial of potion. The wound was healing at a rapid rate and she reasoned it would be fully healed within the week. When she was done, Lightning rolled over facing away from her and Vanille bundled up the bandages to be cleaned.

The Mother took them away from her when she went to wash them. "Let me, Vanille. You should go home and rest."

"Thank you, Mother."

Not one to disregard the Mother's advice, Vanille handed her the still white bandages and washed her hands before saying goodbye and heading home. On the long walk back to the Dia house she contemplated everything, the arrival of the mysterious Lightning, the arrival of her soon to be husband that she had never met before and her going against her father's wishes to help someone she had no cause to help other than her odd feelings for the woman.

Her mind was still racing when she opened the door to her house and found her father sitting in his usual chair. He looked up at her with a stern expression and her heartbeat froze. _Does he know what I've done? Did Roddy rat me out?_ He looked at her with disapproving eyes. "You've been out all day, daughter. Don't you remember, your fiancé is due to arrive soon. You must be ready."

_Oh, it's just that._ "I was helping the Mother, like I always do."

Her father scowled at the mention of it. He had always resented another Reyna's choice in making Vanille her apprentice. While he appreciated what the Mother did for the community he wasn't happy at the thought that his daughter could take over after Reyna passed. The role of Mother was a typically solitary one and she still held out hope that his daughter would find a good match someday. "I am aware, but I need you here as well. You know this is important to your family, Vanille."

Pulsian culture encouraged very strong family ties at the cost of individuality. A Pulsian was not so much an individual as a working member of a family and would often have to give up many personal liberties for the sake of family. Love was often one of these. It was more important to marry for status or sustenance than it was for love in that culture, something Vanille never agreed with. After being chosen by Mother Reyna to become her apprentice Vanille had thought that she would be released from these social pressures. Her father would have none of that, however. "But father..."

"I know that your work is important to you, daughter, and I'm proud of you but you're family needs this. Your mother and I won't be around forever and I want to make sure that you and your brothers are taken care of." Her fafher's expression softened and he took her hands. "After you marry, then you can focus on your work."

Vanille lowered her head and let out a sigh. "I understand."

"I know you do. That's why you're my favorite." His words were meant to undermine her efforts to rebel and guilt trip her into falling in line. Vanille steeled herself against the assault and merely nodded her reply. "Go upstairs and get changed. You're mother is cooking dinner and you smell of herbs and blood."

Vanille wanted nothing more than to change, she didn't like the stuffiness of her winter clothes preferring instead the loose and comfortable clothes she could wear during the spring and summer. Inside the house she would wear more comfortable attire and sit close to the fire or nest inside of her thick blankets. She went up to her room and stripped down, then headed to the bathtub to bathe. After taking a long, hot bath she put on a pink skirt and matching blouse and headed down to the dining room where a big dinner was waiting for her.

She sat down next to Rodick who sat next to their younger brother Barin and across from her mother and father. She ate, not a lot but enough that her parents wouldn't be suspicious, and made light conversation with her brothers and her mother. Her father remained silent while he ate then excused himself and went to his study. When she was sure he was out of earshot, her mother leaned over the table. "So, what did you get with the bills you took?"

"I..." Vanille was stunned. How had she known and why had she not told her father?

"Don't worry, I won't tell your father, but you should be more careful next time." She was surprised that her mother hadn't tried to discourage her act of rebellion. Unlike her father, however, her mother understood the difficulty that a woman had in their culture. Her marriage to Dia Faren had been arranged and she was starting to wonder if it was against her will.

"Do you love father?"

Greta forced a smile at the question. "Vanille, there is more to life than love. You may think that love is great now but down the road you may find it to be less so. The things we want aren't always good for us and the things we need aren't always what we want." Vanille could see a bit of sadness in her voice as she spoke, as if she longed for something she had long ago cast away. "Please give this a chance, it would mean the world to your father."

Vanille closed her eyes and nodded. "Okay, mother. I will try."

"Thank you."

Vanille stood from the table and excused herself, making her way up to her room and falling into her bed. Her mind was in turmoil, on the one hand she had her duties to her family and on the other she had her want to help Lightning. In the end she decided the two were unrelated and she would continue to help her while enduring her new relationship. _Who knows, maybe I'll love him. _This thought was a comfort, though she doubted it was true, and when she finally drifted to sleep she found it wasn't dreams of him waiting for her, it was dreams of Lightning.


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks to everyone for reading and, if you don't already know, the Pulsian in this story can be translated using the Al Bhed cipher._

It had been three days since Claire had gone out on patrol and Serah was beside herself with worry. She was sitting on the couch watching the news when she heard a strong knock on the door. Her heart sunk at the sound, thinking it must be the Sanctum military come to tell her that Claire had died. She fought the tears on the way to the door and opened it to see a tall blonde haired man behind it. "Oh, it's just you."

"Just me?" Snow Villiers leaned down and planted a kiss on Serah's cheek. "Who else were you expecting?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Come in."

Snow followed Serah into the living room where she sat down on the couch and was glued to the TV which was displaying the evening news. He sat down next to her and put his arm around her, she unconsciously snuggled up to him and he could see that she was looking for something. "What's wrong...?"

"Shhh." Serah shut him up just as the anchor began speaking.

"More on the apparent 'invasion' by Pulsians, it seems a team sent to the border to investigate the matter has come up missing. Sanctum officials have reported that earlier this week an advance team was sent to the border regions to scout for Pulsian threats. In three days they have had no contact with them and it is assumed that they were killed by Pulsian raiders. Sanctum officials have been discussing retailiation..."

Serah wasn't listening anymore. They hadn't said it but somehow she knew that Claire had been in that team and she knew that Claire wasn't coming home. The news hit her like a freight train and she clutched at her chest as if she were in pain. Snow noticed and reached out for her. "Serah, what's wrong?"

"C-Claire, s-she...she..." The words wouldn't come, she was overwhelmed with emotion.

A heavy knock on the door sounded and Serah visibly flinched. Snow got up from the couch and went to answer the door. The man who stood on the other side wore an officer's uniform and was carrying a folded Sanctum flag. He looked perplexed to see Snow standing there. "Ms. Serah Farron?"

Serah got up from he couch and walked to the door. As soon as she caught sight of the uniformed officer her eyes watered. "That's me."

"I regret to inform you that your sister, Claire Farron, has been killed in action on the border of..."

"No." Serah's hand covered her mouth and tears streamed down her face. "No, this isn't happening. I told her not to go. I told her."

Snow put his arm around her while the uniformed man watched the proceedings with casual disinterest. Snow took the flag from him and held it for Serah who was bawling in his arms. "Can you tell us how it happened?"

"We don't have much information at this time. What we do know is that she was leading a scouting party on the border and that they have since dropped out of communication."

Snow furrowed his brow. "So you don't know that she's dead?"

"Worst case scenario she's being held in a Pulsian prison camp which would be a death sentence to her after they were through torturing her..."

Serah cried out to hear that and Snow held up a hand to stop him. "Okay, that's enough. Thank you."

The man saluted smartly then turned on his heels and walked down to sidewalk to his vehicle, a sporty red model that Snow had never seen before. It looked expensive. He shut the door and led Serah over to the couch where they sat down and she buried her head in his chest. "I can't believe it..."

"Don't believe it." Serah looked up with puffy red eyes at Snow who had set his jaw. "It was bullshit. You heard him say it, they don't know that she's dead. They're just assuming."

"But..."

"I'm a pretty tough guy," Snow was one for boasting whenever the occasion called for it, which was every occasion, "but there is one person that I've always been afraid of."

-SAVAGE-

Claire's eyes opened slowly and she wanted desperately to be in her own bed in Bodhum. Unfortunately she would see the same room she had been waking up in where she had been receiving care for her wounds. Remembering she checked the wound on her stomach and found it had nearly fully healed, miraculous considering that only a couple of days past she had been close to death. Her smaller wounds had healed as well and she had to admit that no doctor in Cocoon could have done so marvelous a job healing her. At least not without several thousand dollars worth of equipment and a steep hospital bill.

She sat up and was surprised at how limber she felt, no pain at all. She stretched her arms and legs, which complained from the disuse since she had spent the last three days lying in bed, then got up and started her morning regimen. After nearly a half hour of doing sit-ups and push-ups she felt energized, if not a little sweaty, and was heading for the door when it opened and the old woman, whom she had learned was named Reyna, walked in. "Tu oui vaam paddan?"

"I'm sorry, I don't..."

A faint smile crossed the old woman's face and a sigh escaped her lips. "E'mm kad Vanille."

She hadn't understood most of the words but she had understood 'Vanille'. _She's the woman that's been taking care of me._ She wondered why the girl was helping her considering their leader all but told her she would find no shelter here. She was an enemy to these people after all.

Reyna turned and walked out of the room. From the other side of the door she could hear the woman talking to someone else in Pulsian. The voice that replied was speaking a language she didn't know but she easily recognized the voice, the only friendly voice she had heard these last days. Just hearing her voice brought a smile to her face, a smile she quickly recognized and hid away before the door opened and said woman walked through the door with a big smile on her face. "Hello, Lightning. I see you feel good this morning."

"A lot better, thank you." Lightning was sweaty from her morning exertions and Vanille noticed. She wrinkled her nose and looked at her oddly. "What?"

"You stink."

_What!?_ "I'm sorry?"

"You need a bath. Come, I'll draw one for you."

_A savage telling me that_ I _need a bath. That's a new one._ She did feel rather sweaty and hadn't taken a shower since she left her house in Bodhum. She lifted her arm and the stench struck her nostrils. _Okay, maybe she's right._ "A bath would be nice."

"Yay." Vanille seemed nearly excited at the prospect which caught Lightning off guard. _Don't seem so excited, it's just a bath._ "Just give me a few minutes."

Vanille hurried from the room and Lightning sat back down on the bed. She spotted her jacket folded neatly on a nearby table and picked it up, feeling the familiar fabric that had kept her warm over many winters. It brought her mind to her things and she wondered where her sword was. She reasoned it must be with the woman that nearly killed her, the Pulsian warrior Fang.

Her thought train was interrupted by the door opening and a joyful Vanille nearly hopping in with a large cloth towel. "Come on, your bath is ready." Claire followed Vanille to another room where a suprisingly elegant metal bathtub was filled with hot water. "We use this tub to soak people who come here with chronic pain, but it makes a great bathtub." She looked at Claire expectantly. "Well, you can't bathe in all those clothes."

Claire started taking her clothes off and noticed that Vanille was still standing in the room. Not only that she was slowly turning red. "Were you planning on watching me?"

"W-well...no."

Claire smiled, a rare smile coming from the normally stoic soldier, at the adorable look on Vanille's face. She took the towel from her and ushered the flustered girl out of the room. She closed the door and removed her clothing, tossing the dirty garments aside and slowly lowering herself into the hot water. She sighed as the water soothed her. She closed her eyes and let her mind drift away; to thoughts of home and her warm bed waiting for her, to thoughts of her sister who must be beside herself with worry by now, and, oddly enough, to the gentle touch of the woman who was caring for her. Vanille.

A sweet smell wafted up from the bath and into her nose, an enjoyable smell that calmed her further. Her thoughts continued to drift until she heard a knocking on the door to the room. "Lightning? Are you alright in there?"

The door opened a crack and Vanille's voice announced that she was coming in. Lightning turned her head and watched the red-faced girl edge into the room holding a pile of clothes. "I brought you some clothes to wear. They may be a bit big on you, though." Vanille took a glance at her but then quickly turned away. "I-I didn't know what size you were."

Seeing Vanille act this way brought a smile to Lightning's face. "Thank you, Vanille."

"You shouldn't stay in too long, you'll get wrinkles."

Vanille closed the door behind her and Lightning slid further into the water. Only when the water had lost all trace of warmth did she get up and towel herself off. When she felt the cold air against her wet, slightly reddened skin she hurriedly sought out the clothes that Vanille had brought for her and hastily threw them on. What she found was a comfortable pair of leggings, made from a thick cloth that would be warm but wasn't movement restricting, a shirt made out of the same material that felt comfortable, and a pair of boots made of leather to finish out the ensemble.

Both the pants and shirt were large for her but she felt comfortable in them and when she walked back out into the main room she was met with approving eyes. Vanille sat in a chair waiting for her and she smiled when Lightning came into view. "Those look great on you." Lightning didn't agree, but was thankful to be wearing anything. "So, what are you going to do today?"

"I want to take a walk around town."

"That's a great idea." Vanille hopped excitedly out of the chair. "I'll go with you."

"That's not necessary." She walked towards the door and could all but sense Vanille's pout. The girl had seemed very excited to show her around and it might be good to have a guide, though she worried how the girl would look in front of her peers. With her light skin and pink hair she all but stood out against the Pulsians and she didn't want Vanille to be ostracized because of her. "But it would be nice."

Vanille's frown changed in a matter of seconds and she hopped up ready to escort Lightning around the town. While she would have preferred solitude she didn't want to anger the one person who was helping her. She opened the door and stepped outside. The day was overcast and a bit chilly, she shivered though she wore such thick clothing. The door closed behind her and Vanille bounded beside her wearing sufficiently thick clothes and and a scarf wrapped tightly around her neck. "Where to first?"

Lightning shrugged and started walking in whatever direction her feet were pointed. Vanille walked beside her with her hands in her pockets and her eyes on the ground, silently watching the Cocoonian as her eyes gazed over their town. The Mother's house stood on one of the taller hills in the town, Lightning took a few steps away from the house and was able to look over the entire town.

What she saw was a small, walled-in town sitting at the base of a tall mountain that she couldn't see the top of for the clouds. She was surprised at the number of small wooden houses that lined what made up the residential section of Oerba, a large marketplace was situated in the center of town and an area that looked to be made of buildings used for smithing and animal processing. Two gates led out of the town, one to the north and further up the mountain and one led south down to the south and what would be a lush valley in spring. Most of the buldings looked to be constructed of treated wood, most likely to avoid be risk of fire catching in the timbers. A few of the buildings, most likely used for governmental affairs, were made of rock and even fewer than that, most likely the very wealthy in the town, were made of brick.

The wall that kept the town safe was made of rock and mortar and was at least fifteen feet tall at it's lowest point. Scaffolding existed in several places that led up onto the wall, most likely for lookouts she reasoned. Her eyes fell back to the marketplace, a square in the center of town that was decked out in stalls that sold many different wares. Many people milled about in colorful garments and she wanted to see it first hand. She started down the path that would lead her down there with Vanille following quietly behind.

Occassionally as they walked Vanille would point out certain places of interest; for instance as they passed an old brick house she mentioned that the family who used to live there got tired of the winters and decided to move, or as they passed a long house she mentioned how she would often go there to watch them mill the wheat brought in from the outlying farms into flour for bread. Lightning was attentive but her mind was always on her surroundings. She noticed the looks she received from many of the passers by, they ranged from unknowing to outright hostile, as they approached the marketplace.

Lightning entered and felt immediately claustrophobic surrounded by the throngs of people that were perusing the goods on display. Lightning saw many things that fascinated her but what drew her attention most was the artistic flair of their weaponry, from the simplest spear to the most complex crossbow every piece was hand carved and beautiful. What she found odd was that amongst all the stalls with their gorgeous wares she didn't find a single one that served food. She looked around her and didn't find a single restaurant in the square. She wondered why.

As she passed a stall she spotted a beautiful sword with a long curved blade and jewels inlaid in the handle. She picked it up, earning herself a dirty look from the store's owner, and tested the sword in her hands. It was amazing, the way the blade sang through the air as she swung it, the feel of the elegant handle in her hand and the lightness of the material all combined into something magical. Still, it didn't compare to her Blazefire. She wondered if she would ever see it again when she spotted it on the back of someone she had hoped to never see again. Yun Fang was walking through the marketplace with another dark haired woman on her arm and her precious sword slung around her waist.

The sight of the tall Pulsian wearing her sword was enough to send Lightning over the edge. Dropped the sword she was holding back onto the counter and shoved her way though the crowd until she stood within arm's reach of Fang. "You have my sword."

It took Fang a moment to realize who she was speaking to but as soon as she did her face turned up into a smirk. "Hey there, sunshine."

Lightning was in a combat stance, her eyes were fixed on Fang's face. "Give me back my sword."

The woman with Fang looked between Fang and Lightning. "Fru ec drec, Fang?"

"Tu oui nasaspan dra Cocoon cuntean fa vuiht?" The woman looked back at her with a knowing expression, as if she had just remembered something. Fang drew the sword and held it aloft, Lightning's eyes narrowed in anger. "This is a nice sword, and I won it from ya fair and square."

"Give it back to me."

The anger with which she spat those words made the woman with Fang hide behind her. "I don't think so. I'm keeping it as a trophy."

"Like hell you are."

Lightning quickly closed the distance between her and Fang and caught the taller woman with a punch to the jaw. The hit knocked Fang back and people backed away from them as Fang smiled and dropped the Blazefire back into it's scabbard. "Ready for round two, then?"

Fang and Lightning circled each other. Lightning was furious, her eyes blazed as she charged Fang and tried to hit her again. Fang blocked her and retaliated but Lightning was true to her namesake and managed to dodge the counter. Fang wanted to grapple with Lightning, knowing her strength would see her through, but every time she tried Lightning would move out of reach then come back for another strike. It was starting to aggravate her.

Lightning used her speed to land a few hits before ducking away from Fang's counter. Her hits didn't amount to much, though, as Fang proved to be quite resilient. She gritted her teeth and moved in for another strike. She and Fang jabbed and dodged at each other, neither able to overcome the other. Lightning missed a step and Fang caught hold of her wrist. "Gotcha."

She jerked Lightning's wrist up painfully and Lightning gritted her teeth. Fang took a swing at Lightning and hit her straight in the face. Lightning's ears were ringing from the hit but she managed to twist out of the way of a second hit and pulled her wrist free of Fang's grip. She growled and charged, catching Fang by the waist and knocking her to the ground. They grappled on the ground together until Fang managed to push the angry Lightning off of her and get to her feet. Fang had blood coming from her nose and several bruises on her face from where Lightning had gotten a few good hits in.

Lightning was getting ready to strike again when she heard the familiar sound of steel shifting. Fang brandished her own sword, now properly transformed, towards her menacingly. Lightning stopped, breathing hard from the fight. "What's the matter? Didn't think a savage like me could use your fancy weapon?" Lightning's face was twisted in a grimace. She hadn't thought Fang would be able to use the weapon. "You think you're so much better than us, sunshine?"

"Give my sword back."

Even in the face of her own sword her jaw was set and she was determined. "Stop it, Fang." The voice came from behind her, Vanille came running up and stood next to Lightning. "That's enough."

"Cdyo uid uv drec, Van."

"Mayja ran ymuha, Fang."

She couldn't understand them but it sounded to her like Vanille was trying to get Fang to back down, which was the opposite of what Lightning wanted. She wanted blood. "Back off, Vanille. This is between us."

Lightning put her hand out to pull Vanille back but Fang held the blade up closer, taking a full step towards her and nearly pressing the blade to her chest. "Don't lay your hand on her, filth."

"Stop it, both of you." Vanille's arms were taut at her side, her fists balled and shaking. She was getting angry and seeing her angry calmed Lightning's rage. She backed up and returned to a standing position with her head down.

The woman who had been walking with Fang took this moment to approach and place her hand on Fang's arm. "Lusa, muja, vunkad drec fusyh."

Fang reluctantly stepped back and thumbed the switch on the blade. The machine folded itself and she deftly slid it back into the scabbard at the back of her waist. "Veha, Anya." She glared at Lightning and her face twisted up into another smirk. "The sword comes with me."

Lightning met her stare, her jaw set. "I will get it back."

Fang's smirk didn't fade. "I'll be waiting."

Anya took her arm and they walked away, Lightning's Blazefire bumping against Fang's legs as she walked. The sight infuriated Lightning but she knew that for now the fight was over. Vanille turned to say something to her but by the time she spun around Lightning had already walked away, heading towards the scaffolding and the north wall. She didn't hear Vanille call after her to wait, she didn't feel the crowds parting for her as she walked, her thoughts were entirely upon her sword and her now sworn enemy.

She climbed the scaffold and took her first step onto the rock wall on the north side of town. She looked out passed the wall and her eyes followed the crest of the mountain upwards until it reached the cloud line. She knew that the peak was far above that. The land to the north of town had become a veritable wasteland in the face of the coming winter; the trees were leafless and bare, the long grasses that normally grew at the base of the mountain had all but died out and the iciness of the ground would soon give way to thick snows that would prevent passage into and out of Oerba. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her as a cold wind blew from the north.

She watched the scenery for long minutes before she sensed a presense behind her. Vanille walked up and stood next to her, her eyes surveyed the scenery as well though it was not as alien to her as it was to Lightning. "Lightning...are you okay?" The blood on Lightning's face had hardened and was now stuck to her and her bruises were darkened and showed clearly on her pale skin. "Come on, let's get out of the cold."

Lightning didn't respond, she just stood unmoving with her eyes focused north towards Cocoon and her home. "Why? Why am I here? Why am I alive while they're dead?" Vanille stood silently while Lightning poured her soul out. "Why can't I go home? Am I being punished?" Lightning sighed and lowered her head. "Serah..."

"We should head back now." Lightning's eyes were closed and she was deep in thought. "Lightning..." Vanille's voice gradually brought her back to the world. _It doesn't matter why I'm here or how I got here. It doesn't matter if I deserved this or if this is an accident. All that matters is that I"m here, and I am going to survive. I will see Serah again._

Lightning withdrew from her daze and looked around her, noticing that Vanille was looking at her with a worried expression. "I'm fine, Vanille." Lightning walked passed her and started down the scaffolding. "Let's head back." Vanille smiled and followed her down the scaffolding. Lightning didn't notice her push a small parcel further into her pockets.

They walked back to the Mother's house together and when they got there Vanille opened the door for them and they walked in to find Mother Reyna working on some herbal potions. She looked up and smiled when she saw Vanille then frowned when she saw Lightning. "E caa cra'c ib ymnayto. Desa vun ran du ku drah?"

"Hu, Mother. Cra lyh ryja so nuus." Reyna's eyes widened and she shook her head but Vanille seemed determined and pulled Lightning by her arm further into the house to another door she had never seen before. "You can't stay in the main room anymore, so you're going to stay here from now on."

Vanille opened the door and Lighting stepped into a small room, more a closet than anything else, with a single cot and a few other furnishings that were necessary. "This is where I'm staying?"

"Yes. I keep this room so that I have a place to sleep if I can't make it home for whatever reason. Now, I want you to have it."

Lightning didn't know what to say. Vanille was going all out for her and she was starting to get the feeling that there were people in this town who weren't too happy about it. She started to fear for Vanille, for her status in her community, for the retaliation the others might throw at her for helping her, and she didn't want to involve the girl anymore. "I can't take this. You heard that man, nobody is allowed to help me. I won't put you at risk."

"But I want to help you and I'm willing to take the risk."

"No." Lightning's voice was stern. "Out of the question."

"Now you listen to me." Vanille's voice indicated that she was running out of patience for the pink-haired woman. "You're going to die out there without food or shelter, okay? You're going to die." She accented each of these words as she spoke them. "I don't want you to die, not when there's something I can do to help you. Understand?"

"But..."

"But nothing." Now it was Vanille's turn to be stern and Lightning's facial expression shifted. "This is your room from now on. I'm going to cook dinner, I'll let you know when it's done."

Vanille spun on her heels and left the room, closing the door behind her. Lightning cracked a smile.


	5. Chapter 5

The procession made it's way through the early morning streets of Oerba. Several carts worth of possessions, more than enough for a single house, were accompanied by a small army of man servants, housekeepers and bodyguards though the dark and deserted marketplace on their way to a house across the city, a house that was vacant at the moment but wouldn't stay that way for long.

Amongst the procession was a cart decorated with the finest linens and silks, much more than any of the others. This cart contained the Ybarra family; father Ybarra Sol, a tall thin man with a hooked nose and close cut hair, mother Ybarra Diana, a short and stocky woman who also had a hooked nose, though not as large as her husband's, and long hair with many braids in it, and son Ybarra Jago, a tall, athletic looking man with a winning smile who was coming into possession of the empty house in Oerba and was planning on furnishing it for his new bride. He was engaged, you see, to the eldest daughter of the Dia clan, Dia Vanille, and he was very excited to meet her.

They wound their way through the nearly empty streets earning strange looks from those who were out and about this early. The Ybarras came from Coerthas, a land to the east that was predominantly rolling plains, and made their fortune harvesting and processing silk from their many silk farms. When Jago came of age he made a decision that his parents didn't agree with, he decided to move to Oerba and take an Oerban bride.

Even now, as the long caravan moved closer to the empty house, his parents shrunk their noses at the city. "Why here, Jago?" His mother was never one to wince words. "This place smells like the dirt it most likely came from."

"I cannot fathom it either." His father was just as vocal about his dissent. "You could have everything in Coerthas. Why move here?"

Jago took a deep breath of the free air, filled his lungs with it and sighed. "You're wrong. Oerba is clean, I love it here. The air, the land, the people. This place is heavenly."

His mother scoffed. "And this bride of yours, we haven't even seen her."

"I'm sure she's beautiful, mother. You're worrying too much. This is what I want."

"We're just trying to make sure you're happy, son." His father put a comforting hand on his son's shoulder. "We want to make sure that you're doing the right thing."

"I am sure, father." The convoy pulled up to the house that stood just down the hill from Mother Reyna's. "Now let's see my new house."

-SAVAGE-

The snow started to fall in the middle of day and Vanille was wrapped in every piece of clothing she owned. She hated the cold, and always bundled herself against it. She was sitting in the reading room of their house when her father walked in and sat down across from her. "I have some good news for you, daughter. Your fiancé arrived in town this morning. He is very eager to meet you."

Vanille reached for a glass of wine sitting near her and downed it in one drink. Her stomach was in knots, she had been dreading this moment since her father had told her and now it seemed the moment had come. Her throat felt dry and she held her now empty glass like a gavel. The look on her face didn't go unnoticed.

Her father sat down next to her and put an arm around her. "I know you're nervous, Vanille, but you're going to love him. I know it."

Vanille merely nodded her head, still stunned that everything was happening so fast. _I thought I had more time._ She closed her eyes and let out a breath. There was nothing to be done for it, better to have it over with. "Okay, father. I'll meet him."

"Excellent. I've arranged for you two to have dinner tonight so be ready. He will come by to get you at around five o'clock." Her father walked out of the room and returned holding a wrapped parcel. "I bought this for you at the markets." Vanille opened it and found an adorable red silk dress. She took it out and marveled at the fabric, the cut, the lace at the color. "I hope you like it."

She smiled, a genuine smile. _Perhaps this won't be so bad._ "I do, father." _Maybe I'm overreacting._ "It's beautiful."

"It will look beautiful on you, daughter." Her father patted her on the shoulder. "Just be ready by five."

"I will be."

Her father left and she let out a sigh. She still had time before five so she decided to head to the Mother's to check on Lightning. She had patched her up as best we could after the fight but the soldier hadn't spoken much to her in the days since. She deposited her new dress on her bed and bundled up in several layers before heading out of the house.

The snow wasn't thick on the ground yet so she had no problem walking, her breath misted out from her as she walked down white streets and up the hill to Mother Reyna's. On the way she noticed activity in a house that had been previously abandoned and wondered what was going on there. She noticed many luxurious silk curtains had been hung in the windows and several carriages sat on the front lawn and thought that the new owners must be quite wealthy, but thought nothing else of it.

She walked quickly into the Mother's house and shook the snow off of her furs. Mother Reyna was working at the table with a mortar and pestle. Vanille approached. "Good afternoon, Mother."

"Hello, child." Reyna never took her eyes off of her work. "The foreigner hasn't come out in a day or so."

"I'll go check on her."

Reyna muttered something under her breath, it sounded an awful lot like "Don't waste your breath" but Vanille didn't catch it all. She approached the closed door to the room that Lightning was occupying. She knocked. No answer. "Lightning?" She knocked again. No answer. Her heart started beating faster and she felt like she was going to panic. "Lightning, answer me." She pounded on the door frantically until she heard a thud followed by some muffled grunts.

The door opened a crack and Lightning's face peeked out at her bleary eyed and disheveled. "What?"

Vanille's heart calmed and she let out a sigh. "Are you feeling better?"

Lightning opened the door and walked back to the bed. Vanille noticed that she was wearing very little and tried to look anywhere but at her. When she failed and her eyes fell on creamy thighs barely covered by a thin pair of panties she felt herself getting hot. Lightning fell into the bed and pulled all of the blankets and furs around her. "It's cold."

Vanille sat down on the bed next to Lightning and touched her forehead to see if she had a fever. She felt fine though she noticed that some of the wounds on her face hadn't fully healed yet. "It's snowing outside. Do you want to go see it?"

Lightning merely grunted a reply. Vanille felt bad for the woman but there was nothing else she could do so she stood up and headed for the door. "I'll go make you some..."

"Wait." Lightning rolled over to face Vanille, her green eyes locked with her blue ones and they both froze for a moment. A long moment that seemed to Vanille to last a lifetime. _Etro, I could lose myself in those eyes._ "I do want to see it."

Try as she might, Vanille couldn't fight the smile that took over her face. "Well, then get dressed. You can't go out there in your underwear."

Lightning extricated her self from the blankets and stood to retrieve her clothes. Vanille had trouble tearing her eyes away from the woman, her face grew flush and she found it hard to breathe. Her heart was pounding so loud that she swore the Mother would hear it. _Why does she have this effect on me?_ With a great force of effort she peeled her eyes off of Lightning and turned towards the door. "I-I'll wait out here."

She closed the door behind her and leaned against the wall to catch her breath, her hand closed into a fist over her chest. After a few minutes the door opened again and Lightning stepped out wearing a thick shirt and pants and a heavy jacket. She walked passed her. "Let's go."

Vanille fell into step beside Lightning and they walked outside together onto the snow covered lawn. Their breath intermingled as it misted up from their nostrils while they stood and admired the view of the city covered in snow.

Vanille took two tentative steps back and ducked down to take some snow into her hands. She balled it up and hurled it at Lightning. It struck her on the side and her head turned slowly to face Vanille. She put on an innocent smile for Lightning who ducked down and took a handful of snow for herself.

"Lightning, wait." Vanille took off for the nearest tree, laughing the whole way, while Lightning packed the snowball tight. She barely made it to cover, the snowball exploded against the tree just as she fell behind it. She bent over to pick up some more snow then leaned around the tree to see Lightning doing the same. Vanille stuck her tongue out at Lightning who cocked back to throw making Vanille duck back behind the tree.

She packed her snowball then spun around the tree expecting Lightning to be there. She wasn't and for an instant Vanille hesitated. This was all the time Lightning needed to hit Vanille in the shoulder with a snowball. "Ow, that one hurt." Vanille spun around and found Lightning smiling at her while preparing another snowball. She threw hers as hard as she could and managed to hit Lightning, she twisted so that the snowball hit her in the back.

Lightning cocked back to throw another one and Vanille tried to run for the tree again but her foot caught a spot of ice and before she knew it her feet were in the air and she was falling. She landed on her back, the snow padded the landing somewhat but it still knocked the wind out of her. Within seconds Lightning cleared the distance between them and knelt beside her. "Are you alright?"

Vanille looked up into those steely blue eyes and lost herself in their gaze. "I'm fine." Their looks melted into each other and for an instant neither could move. "I-I'm fine..." Her breathing increased as did her heart rate and even in the sub freezing temperatures she felt hot. Lightning was also breathing heavy and Vanille noticed that she didn't move, not closer or farther away. "L-light..." Lightning's lips parted in a way that Vanille found irresistible. She sat up bringing their lips closer together, never breaking eye contact. Vanille closed her eyes as their lips grew closer, closer, closer...

"What's going on over here?"

A playful voice came from the trees and snapped them both out of the reverie. In a second Lightning had jumped up and fallen away from Vanille, Vanille merely laid her head back into the snow and groaned. "Did I interrupt something?"

_Yes, you stupid behemoth spawn..._ "No, I just fell." Vanille responded in basic then realized that the speaker was speaking in Pulsian. She repeated herself then sat up and looked for the speaker. She spotted the man, a tall, dark skinned man wearing an expensive looking coat and pants, approaching from the trees. Lightning stood nearby, crouched in a fighting position. Vanille looked over to her. "It's okay."

Lightning was red in the face, most likely embarrassment from being caught in such an intimate position. _Dammit, we almost had a moment._ The man continued his approach while Lightning eased up. "This is really something, isn't it. It never snows like this in Coerthas."

"Is that where you're from?" Vanille got to her feet and brushed the snow off of her. "I was wondering why I didn't recognize you." Something clicked in her mind then. "Did you just move in to the house down the street?"

"Yes. Me and my parents did. I'm Ybarra Jago."

The man bowed his head, a gesture which Vanille returned. "I'm Dia Vanille."

"And you're friend there?"

Lightning stood stock still and Vanille realized that she couldn't understand them. "That's Lightning, she's from Cocoon."

"Oh." Something in the way he said it or the way his eyes widened when he heard where she was from told Vanille that he was instantly afraid of Lightning. "I saw you two playing and was hoping to join you."

"I don't..."

Vanille turned to Lightning but was cut off before she could speak. "I'm going back inside."

Lightning turned and quickly walked back into the house leaving Vanille alone with Jago. She turned and scratched the back of her head. "We were actually going back inside."

Jago put his hands up. "I'm sorry. Again, I didn't mean to interrupt. I have something I need to prepare for so if you'll excuse me."

Jago walked away and Vanille let out a breath. She watched him walk away down the street until he was out of sight then turned and headed back into the house. She was heading to the freezer to retrieve some of the meat she had taken out for Lightning when the door opened and her younger brother stepped in. "Vanille, dad is looking for you."

"Just give me a minute, Roddy."

"He said now, sis."

_I still need to cook for Lightning._ She set some meat down on the table and was about to cut into it when Reyna grabbed her wrist and stopped her. "Go, Vanille. It is important."

"But I need to make something for Lightning."

Vanille was starting to sound frantic. Reyna sighed. "Don't let that foreign woman bewitch you, now." Unbeknownst to Vanille, Reyna had see everything that had happened including her and Lightning's near kiss. "She is a devil."

"She is not." Vanille took both of the Mother's hands. "Will you make something for her. Please. I'll be eternally grateful."

Vanille put on her best coercion face and, after a minute of deliberation, Reyna picked up the knife and cut a piece of meat off. "Fine, just be careful child."

"Thanks, Mother."

Vanille gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before running out the door with Roddy in tow. Together they ran from the Mother's to the Dia house and by the time they got there the both of them were out of breath. Vanille passed through the main room and her father gave her a look that said "Where have you been?" Vanille shrugged in response and continued up to her room where she found her dress laid out for her on the bed. The dress, after she bathed and put it on, felt to her like a noose. She dove through her drawers and found her favorite necklace, several bracelets and two rings then took her time putting them on. The memory of her near kiss cropped up and she remembered how natural it had felt and how much she had wanted it.

"Vanille." She heard her fafher's voice from outside her door. "Are you ready, daughter?"

Vanille took a deep breath and looked at herself in the full length mirror that adorned one of the walls in her room. She let her hair down and tossed it over her right shoulder in a style reminiscent of the woman she was thinking about. It made her smile. "Yes, father. I'll be right out."

She threw a warm fur around her shoulders, bare in the red dress, and opened the door. Her father stood behind it. He beamed upon seeing his daughter so dressed and embraced her as she stepped from the room. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you."

"Let's go. We have a ride."

Her brow furrowed. _What does he mean?_ She followed her father out of the house and saw a carriage waiting for them, a fancy number that she knew didn't come from Oerba. They boarded the carriage and she found her mother waiting for them there. She took one look at her hair and made a face. "What did you do to your hair, Vanille?" Vanille and her father sat down opposite her. Her mother reached over and tossed her hair back over her shoulder. "You look like that foreign woman."

Vanille stayed quiet for the entire ride. When they stopped her mother and father dismounted first then helped her down from the carriage. She looked around and recognized where she was. The previously empty house down the street from Mother Reyna's. Which meant...

A familiar face was waiting for them at the door. As soon as she saw him her eyes widened. "You."

He had the same reaction. "You."

Her parents looked between them. "Have you two met before?"

Jago's eyes were all for Vanille. "I don't know. You look very different than you did earlier. You're stunning."

Vanille turned her head. She knew the compliment should have warmed her heart but it sounded hollow to her. "Thank you, Jago." She noticed he was wearing an exquisite outfit made of the finest silk, it showed the strength in his arms and chest while remaining tasteful. She knew the sight should have made her quiver but it didn't. Her polite instincts took over and she doled him out an almost ritual compliment. "You look handsome tonight."

"Please, come in."

He followed them inside as her parents marveled at the inside of the house. The entire house had been decorated, it seemed, in gold and silk; every curtain was made from the finest silks money could buy and in every wall stood idols made of wood and gold. The main room was well lit and luxuriously laid out with silk cushions and low wooden tables. An older couple, a man and a woman, were waiting for them in the main room. They both rose when the Dias entered. "Welcome."

Introductions were made between the parents, the men shook hands and the women embraced as was custom, then they sat down leaving Jago and Vanille standing. They faced each other and Vanille felt suddenly awkward as every eye in the room was on her. A hand reached out and pinched her waist. "She has a thin waist. Is she fertile?"

"Yes she is, Ms. Ybarra." The sound of Jago's mother judging her like livestock made her cringe. "She will provide you with many grandchildren."

Jago must have sensed this. He held his hand up. "Stop it, mother. You are making her uncomfortable." He took a seat and offered her the cushion next to his. "Please, make yourself comfortable."

Vanille sat down, but couldn't make herself comfortable in this room. The conversation started light, Jago's parents asking Vanille's parents about the various marriage customs and laws in Oerba. Faren was quick to be friendly and answer their questions but Greta was not. She merely eyed them with suspicion.

"I'm sorry I interrupted you this afternoon." Jago blurted out. "It seemed like you were having fun with your Cocoonian friend. She didn't seem too fond of me being there, she ran off in quite a hurry."

"What are you talking about?" Faren eyed his daughter. "Vanille, have you been seeing that foreign devil?"

"Cocoonian?" Ybarra Diana cringed her nose as if she smelled something foul. "Just what kind of riff-raff do you allow in Oerba?"

"She is a prisoner, Ms. Ybarra, brought here by another clan. I assure you the woman has nothing to do with us." He gave Vanille a look that said, "We'll talk about this later" and continued with their conversation.

Not long after a maid entered to say that their dinner had been served. The Dias followed the Ybarras into the dining room, adorned as the rest of he house had been. Jago held Vanille's hand as they walked, a gesture that felt empty to her as well.

They sat down and ate, a delicious meal had been set out for them and they ate their fill. The conversation was light, the men discussed local politics while the women talked about their children. Jago was talking with their fafher's leaving Vanille sitting in silence nursing her dessert. She absentmindedly tossed her hair over one shoulder, her eyes glazed over as her thoughts returned to their intimate moment in the snow and how it had made her feel. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice her mother trying to get her attention. "Vanille?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you alright? You seem tired."

She shook her head and cleared away her thoughts. "I'm fine, mother."

"We should return home, soon. It is getting late and I wish to check on the boys. Etro knows what mischief they are up to."

Faren, Sol and Jago were deep in conversation. Greta tapped him on the arm to get his attention, then motioned towards their daughter. Faren nodded. "Perhaps it is time to go home. It wouldn't do for us to get sick of each other already."

All the gathered shared in a good laugh then said their goodbyes. Jago kissed Vanille's hand, a gesture which she found extremely awkward, and she immediately wiped her hand on her dress afterwards. His father, Sol, was next to wish her goodnight. He gave her a warm hug. "You are lovely, child."

His mother, Diana, was next and though she didn't say anything to her she could see the disdain in her eyes. They stepped onto the porch and Faren noticed that the carriage was waiting for them where it had been. Jago stepped forward. "I want you to have this carriage, Vanille."

Vanille was taken aback. On the one hand she didn't want to accept this gift from him, it would feel to her like she owed him something. On the other hand the look her father was giving her was urging her to accept it. _The things I do for my family._ "Thank you, Jago. It is a beautiful gift." She gave him a hug, a hug that made her feel cheap. It made her feel like she had just been bought.

The Dias mounted the carriage and spent a quiet ride home. Faren broke the silence. "They were nice." Greta made a face like she disagreed but she merely nodded her head, not wanting to provoke him any further. He turned to Vanille. "You must love him. He gave you this lovely carriage after all."

"We don't have a stable. Where will we keep the chocobos?"

Her father shrugged. "We will have a stable built for them. Until then we can keep them in the house. They can stay in the guest room. By the way, Vanille," his facial expression changed, "what were you doing with that woman? I told you not to go near that devil."

"She is not a devil, father. Maybe if you got to know her you'd realize that."

"I'm not going to get to know her, and neither are you." His eyes burned as he stared down his daughter. "I forbid you from seeing that woman again."

Vanille felt her anger rising, tears came unbidden to her eyes. "You can't do that."

"I just did. You are never to go near that woman again."

"Faren." Greta tried to calm him but the damage had been done. Vanille, angry and frustrated, tore open the door to the carriage and jumped out. The carriage had been going slowly so she didn't hurt herself on the landing. She disappeared into the darkness. Her father merely watched her go. "Vanille..." Her mother called after her but she was already gone. Faren merely closed the carriage door and folded his arms.

Vanille ran down the darkened streets with tears in her eyes. She was furious at what her father had said, felt like she was just sold to the Ybarras and felt pained at the idea of never getting to see Lightning again. In the week or so that she had been in the village she had become a trusted friend and a source of feelings that she was still learning how to process and the thought of never getting to see her again made her heart want to burst.

She ran and ran until she found herself in front of the only place she ever ran to. The Yun house stood tall in front of her. She knocked on the door and Fang answered the door. "Can I come in?"

Fang noticed the tears and the hiccup in her voice and put her arms around her. She led her into the house and sat her down on a cushion. Anya was sitting nearby and gave her a look of worry. "What happened?"

"It's about the Ybarras, isn't it?" Fang looked down at Vanille who looked up at her with a look of surprise. "This is a small town, Vanille. Everyone knows about it by now." Fang gently stroked her hair. "You don't want to go through with it, do you?" Vanille shook her head. "Then maybe you shouldn't."

"Fang," Anya spoke up from her cushion, "it's important for her family."

"Some things are more important than family, Anya. You should know, you're parents weren't thrilled to learn about our relationship."

"But it was different for me. I'm not the oldest in my family. My older sister had already married before me. Vanille is the oldest and it is important that she find a match that is good for the family. If I've heard correctly the Ybarras are very wealthy. This is a good match for them."

"But they're not marrying him, Anya. She is. If she doesn't want to do it then she shouldn't do it."

"It's not just that." Both Anya and Fang looked at Vanille when she spoke. "Dad said that I couldn't see Lightning anymore."

Fang looked confused. "Now I agree with that." Vanille looked up at her with her jaw slack. "She's not one of us, Vanille. She's from a place that considers us savages or worse. Don't you remember the stories that my father used to tell us. About the wars. She's no good."  
"But she's not like that. I know she's not." Vanille closed her eyes and fell back onto the cushion, throwing an arm over her eyes. She yawned.

"It's been a long day, you can stay here if you'd like." Fang patted her arm and stood up. Anya followed suit. "Good night, sweetheart."

Fang left the room. Anya looked back at Vanille, "You look great, Vanille."


	6. Chapter 6

Claire woke up and prayed that she didn't find herself in the same shitty room that she had gone to sleep in and found that her prayers were unneeded. Her eyes fell upon the browns and greys of the small room and she laid her head back and sighed. _I'm still a prisoner. _

The air had gotten very cold and the building she was laying in had no insulation so she felt every breeze and gust of wind as if it were in the room with her. Her lip curled up in a snarl and she tossed her blanket away. _It may be cold here, but I'm colder._ Her resolve hardened, she found some simple pants and an animal hide coat and left the sad house before the old woman noticed. The woman drove her nuts. Claire couldn't understand what she was saying but she understood aggression and that woman was not happy that she was here. Though she had tried to explain that if she had her way she wouldn't be here either the language barrier was proving to be impossible to break. So they lived together, both hating the other and looking away when the other entered the room.

It was because of this that she had come to know a lot more about Oerba. Rather than sit in that house and listen to her prattle on a out her she would spend most of her time walking the streets. She had started to become familiar with the city and it's layout. Today she wandered down to what she called the Industrial District. It was here that most of the craftsmen and artisans worked and the noise of their labors set her at ease.

She wandered around the district, with it's low buildings and open spaces now covered in a layer of snow. The snow made it difficult for her to get around but she noticed that the townsfolk had little trouble. _They must be used to it._ She noticed that they wore odd shoes, shoes whose soles were far wider than she had ever seen. She reasoned that the added sole gave the shoes more surface area and allowed you to walk over the snow instead of falling into it. _These people are far more inventive than I realized._

A nearby blacksmith had his door open and she decided to walk in. Sitting at a burning forge sat an old man with skin like tanned leather and arms as big as his torso. He had a still hot piece of steel in his hand and was hammering and shaping it into a blade. As soon as she walked in he looked up, missed a hammer strike and struck himself in the leg instead.

He hopped around, hissing and patting his now injured leg. "I'm sorry." Claire said with a sympathetic look on her face before realizing that he couldn'f understand her. He must have understood the gesture because he merely waved her off and continued his pained dance around the shop. While he did so Claire walked up to where the hot blade still lay, waiting for the next hammer strike. She ran her hand along the hammer, feeling it's weight. For all the time she had spent with her sword, sharpening it, polishing it, cleaning out the chambers, she still had no idea how it was made.

The man must have noticed her interest. When he finally stopped hopping around he approached. Wordlessly he motioned for her to pick up the hammer. She did so and he took the blade in her hands and motioned for her to strike. She held her hand high over her head and brought it down, surprised when the hammer didn't strike. The man gripped her wrist and stopped her. He shook his head. "Too strong...precise..."

He spoke with a heavy accent but his meaning was clear. She raised the hammer again, but this time she struck quicker. The hammer hit the hot steel and sparks flew, the blade bent slightly but compressed towards an edge. The blacksmith turned the blade over. "Same place..." She aimed carefully and struck it in the same spot, bending the blade back straight and honing the edge even more.

She repeated this process over and over for several hours. Whenever the blade would cool the blacksmith would stick it in the furnace to heat it back up then she would return to it. Before long she was holding it herself. By the end of the session she was forging the blade on her own. She loved the feeling of the hammer striking, the sound of the hit and the sparks that flew off, she loved the precision and focus the job required, so much so that she didn't realize the passing of time.

After several hours she was feeling tired but still focused. She raised her hand for another swing but the blacksmith stopped her. He took the blade and inspected it, seemingly satisfied with what she had done. He tossed the still hot blade into a barrel of water, steam rising as the blade cooled down. He nodded in her direction. "You, good help..."

He walked over to a metal case and took out several slips of paper. He approached her with his hand out, offering her the bills. She took them and gave him a questioning look. "What are these for?"

He made a sign of biting the air while holding something. _Food rations._ "You good help..."

"Thanks." She couldn't explain how she felt in that moment. In that moment, standing there with the food ration tickets in hand after a hard day's work, she had forgotten that she was a prisoner in this place. She had felt like a part of them. She found that she enjoyed working with her hands, something that she hadn't had any experience with.

"You come back, I give more..."

A job. She couldn't fight the smile that threatened to encompass her face. _I have a job._ She nodded her head, thanked the man once more and left the shop. She knew where the food depository was, she had seen many people coming out of the long building carrying parcels of different types of meat and vegetables.

She found the bulding and entered and as soon as she did all eyes turned to her. The place became deathly silent, all conversation ceased. She walked casually, proudly, up to one of the men behind the counter and held out triumphantly the ration tickets. The man looked at her oddly then looked down at her hand. He took the tickets from her then made a good show of testing them. When he was satisfied he walked to the back and returned with two parcels, one of meats and one of vegetables and handed them to her. She thanked him, though her thanks went unrecognized, and left, leaving the entire place stunned.

She walked down the street with a new kick in her step. When she arrived at the Mother's house she found the old woman sitting at the table working on a poultice. She looked up in shock when Claire entered and set the parcels down on the table. She gave her a questioning look. Claire merely ignored her and went to prepare a meal with the food, just as she had watched Vanille do.

She unwrapped the meat portion and started trying to cube it. She felt like she was doing an adequate job when the old woman made a sound and forcefully took the knife from her. She carefully cut the meat and motioned for Claire to get the water ready. She did just this and together they made dinner for just the two of them. They ate it quietly, neither talking because the other wouldn't understand.

"Reyna." The old woman suddenly blurted out. Claire have her a questioning look. She pointed to herself and spoke slower, accenting each syllable. "Ray-ee-na. Reyna."

Claire repeated her name, albeit awkwardly, and Reyna seemed satisfied. Together they cleaned off the table and Claire, tired from her long, unexpected day of work went straight to her bed in the backroom of the house and was asleep as soon as she hit the pillow.

Over the next two weeks Claire continued to work at the smith's, learning how to forge not just blades but other useful things as well. She couldn't say that she was great at it yet but she was a quick study and she poured her all into learning what he had to teach. Everyday he would pay her in ration tickets which she would use to buy food for herself and Reyna, who was starting to become less aggressive towards her, occassionally even welcoming her home. One thing she missed, however, was Vanille. She hadn't seen or spoken to her in the entire time.

-SAVAGE-

Over the course of the last two weeks she had been preparing a blade for herself. At the end of the two weeks she was finally ready to wrap the handle, which she did using some leather that she acquired from a friend of the smith's who peddled such things, and when she was done she was holding a brand new sword forged by her own hand. She smiled brilliantly, she had never felt so proud of herself as she test swung the blade through the air. Even the smith seemed impressed with the quality of the work.

She set to sharpening it and before long had honed a good edge on it. She brandished it, testing the weight. She liked it but it would never be a match for her Blazefire. She let out a sigh, she would most likely never see the blade again and it hurt worse even than losing her team in the woods. That sword had been passed down in her family for over one hundred years, losing it was like losing a piece of herself.

That night she was sitting around the table with just her and Reyna. Reyna had warmed up to her significantly after she started coming home with fresh food. She was trying to teach Claire Pulsian but the language just wouldn't take. She understood a few of the basic words, words like food, water and help but the rest was not coming easily. The two were sitting around the table when Claire asked Reyna, "Do you know where Vanille is?"

Reyna looked at her quizzically. She hadn't understood the entirety of the sentence but she had understood the important part. "Vanille?"

"Yeah, Vanille."

Reyna merely shrugged and Claire didn't ask again. The look on Reyna's face said that not only did she not know but that she was worried about her as well.

After dinner Claire returned to her room and lay down on the bed that had previously belonged to Vanille. She was surprised how easily thoughts of her came unbidden to her mind. Thoughts of her smile, her perky attitude, her green eyes that lit up when she was excited, her lips that she wanted to kiss... Suddenly the room was too hot for her even though the temperature was well below freezing. She felt a tightness in her stomach and below, a pressure that wanted to be released. She bit her lip and forced the feelings down until she finally fell asleep.

The next morning she decided not to visit the smith's. Instead she took the blade that she had forged and found a deserted spot in town and set to practicing her bushido. She gripped the blade and relished the weight in her hands. She fell into the familiar stance all too easily. Her breath misted the air as she cut and stabbed, parried and dodged until the tree she was practicing at was covered with gouges. She lost herself in it, the forms and precise movements, the grace, the dance. She forgot all about Vanille and Serah, all about Fang and Oerba and even Blazefire. She was meditating with a sword in her hand and she felt at one with the world.

"Good form there, sunshine."

She heard the voice from behind her, a voice that immediately set her on edge. She turned to see Fang walking up wearing a thick coat and trousers. She didn't wear a pair of snow shoes yet she didn't sink. _It must be years of being a hunter in this place._ "What do you want?" Lightning immediately took the defensive. The last two times they had met had ended with a fight.

"I saw you practicing from the road." She walked up and stood just out of arm's reach. "I hear you've been working at the smithy. May I?" Claire reluctantly handed her the sword. Fang checked the weight and hmmed, she took a few practice swings. "Not bad. Did you do this yourself?" Claire nodded. "It's good, amateur but good. No where near as good as that other sword of yours though."

"Is that why you're here?" Fang tossed the sword back to Claire who caught it and held it close. "To gloat."

"No. I'm here to fight." Fang smirked. "If you're interested."

Claire planted her sword into the snow. "Why?"

"Because you're good. No one else in this town can lay a hand on me but that's twice now that you've nearly beaten me."

"So, you want to test yourself?"

"I want to _train_ myself." They circled each other like wild cats ready to pounce. "I want to get stronger and you're the only one who can help me."

Fang led off with a charge, trying to catch Lightning off guard. Lightning was already on guard and sidestepped her, delivering a quick kick to her side that did little damage but angered Fang. She knew Fang's anger would make her sloppy.

Fang stayed close, keeping up the pressure on the faster but smaller Lightning. Lightning used her speed to deliver a few body shots to Fang's midsection but earned a punch to the gut for her efforts. It doubled her over and Fang took the opportunity to knock her to the ground.

They grappled together until Lightning managed to hook her legs around one of Fang's and pull her to the ground. They both got to their feet breathing hard but no blood was shed. They were pulling their punches, this was sparring practice after all.

They kicked and punched each other, they grappled and wrestled with each other until they both fell back exhausted, breathing hard with muscles that warned of pain to come. They both regained their breath. Lightning leaned against the tree she had used as a practice dummy. "Satisfied?"

"That was a damn good show. It makes me wonder what you'd be like in bed."

"W-wha...?"

Fang's smirk threatened to leave her face. "I'm saying that I'll bet you're a good lay. It's a compliment."

"That's an odd way to phrase a compliment." Claire's stoicism returned and she fell silent. A thought ran through her head, something that had been thinking a lot about recently. "I haven't seen Vanille around lately. Is she okay?"

At the mention of Vanille, Fang's smirk changed to a frown. "Her father has forbidden her from seeing you. He's really cracking down on her since her fiancé showed up."

This news caught Claire off guard. "She's engaged?"

"Yeah, to some bloke from down south. They've got money and that's what her father has eyes for." Fang let out a sigh. "I don't think Vanille is happy with the idea."

"Then why is she doing it?"

"Because that's how Oerba is. That's our culture. In our society we are taught from a young age to put family above all else, even yourself. It's a great ideal in theory, but loses something in practice." Fang looked up and caught Claire's gaze. "What do you feel for Vanille?" She looked deep into her eyes, looking desperately for the answer.

"Grateful. She saved my life when no one around me was willing to. I wouldn't be here without her. She stuck her neck out for me and I hope that I can return the favor someday."

Fang could hear tenderness in the soldier's voice, something she had never heard before. She had found an answer in Lightning's eyes, an answer that brought a smile to her face. "You'll get that chance, Light. Soon, I think."

Fang turned to walk away and Lightning called after her. "Hey. What about my sword?"

"You've got a new one now."

Fang walked away and Lightning picked up her new sword, stuck it in it's scabbard and walked back to the Mother's house. When she arrived Reyna was waiting for her. She gestured emphatically towards the room where she was staying. Claire took off her coat and took a defensive posture. She slowly opened the door. Her eyes widened when she saw Vanille sitting on the cot in the room. "Vanille?"

She perked up when she saw Claire. "Lightning." Vanille hopped up and threw her arms around her. Claire, in a remarkable show of restraint, didn't resist. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Claire put her arms around the girl and embraced her. "It's good to see you too."

When they parted, she noticed that Vanille still held on to her arm with one hand. Their eyes met and sparks flew. An unexplainable heat built up in her and it was all she could do to keep it from consuming her. "I'm sorry I haven't been visiting. My dad is..."

"I know." The air became still between them. "I...hear that you're engaged. Congratulations."

"Thanks..." Tears welled up in the corners of Vanille's eyes. "I'm so happy..." She started bawling. She buried her head in her hands and sat down on the cot.

Claire watched, a feeling of empathy washed over her and a single tear found it's way to her eyes. She sat down next to Vanille and put her arms around her. She held the girl close while she sobbed against her chest. "I don't understand your culture but it sounds like this would be good for your family." The words felt like ash in her mouth.

"I know...but..."

"It's okay." Claire closed her eyes and held on tightly to her. She buried her head in Vanille's red hair that smelled strongly of lavender and whispered to her until she stopped crying. It made her think of Serah, of the myriad times when she had had to hold her sister close to stop her from crying. She stroked her hair gently, lovingly, until the sobbing passed and Vanille wiped her eyes. "Do you feel better now?"

"A little."

A commotion outside the room caught Claire's attention. She got up and peeked out of the door to see an older Pulsian man who looked similar to Vanille standing in the room and yelling at Reyna in Pulsian. She pointed him towards them and he stomped towards the room. Before he could get there Claire opened the door and stood in his way.

He walked up to her and stood toe-to-toe with her. "Where's Vanille?" He asked in his heavily accented voice.

Claire stood aside and let him into the room where Vanille was sitting on the bed with red, puffy eyes. Claire could clearly head the man, who she assumed was Vanille's father, shouting at his daughter while she shouted back. She heard her name mentioned a few times before she stormed out of the room and the house in anger. Her father walked out of the room, a look of anger on his face. "You." He jabbed a finger at Claire who withstood it. "You stay away from my daughter."

"I..."

"I won't say it again."

After threatening her, Vanille's father left in a storm leaving Claire and Reyna standing in the main room alone. Claire had her fists balled, she was filling with anger at Vanille's situation. Reyna approached and put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder before heading to her room for the night.

Claire wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. She felt for Vanille, she really did, but she didn't want to interfere with this place any more than she already had. She felt for Vanille...what exactly did she feel for Vanille. She wanted to protect to her, to hold her like she had and tell her that everything would be alright, she wanted to kick her father's ass until he called off the engagement. What she did, though, was quietly go to bed.

-SAVAGE-

Snow felt absolutely terrible for Serah. It had to be hard hearing about the death of a loved one, especially one so close as she and Claire had been. Snow still had his lingering doubts about the entire situation. Something seemed fishy about it and he had his crew, NORA, scouring the city looking for information. He was sitting in the Farron's living room holding Serah, who had just finished another marathon cry session, when his phone rang. "Snow, we have something for you."

It was Gadot, a member of his anti-Sanctum organization NORA, a group that opposed the Sanctum's oppressive rule over the Cocoonian people. "What is it? Is it about Lightning?"

"You should get to headquarters. We'll meet you there."

Snow hung up the phone and leaned over to kiss Serah, who had laid down on the couch facing the back. "I've got to go. I'll be back later, okay?" Serah didn't react and Snow felt bad about leaving her but considering the information that he was looking for he felt it was a good reason. He got up and left, taking his car and heading for the outskirts of town.

The NORA headquarters was housed in an old warehouse on the edge of Bodhum. It was an anonymous place, not defensible but easy to escape from if the Sanctum ever moved any forces their way. NORA was only made up of a few members and were mostly involved in protests. Most of them even had day jobs.

Snow pulled up to the familiar warehouse and checked around before entering. Inside he found a few of the regulars and Gadot sitting in the main office with Lebreau and a man who looked like a sanctum soldier. He was dark, his hair pulled up into an afro large enough to hide a small bird in. Snow was apprehensive but the man seemed relaxed when he walked in.

"Snow, this is big." Gadot approached with wide eyes. "This is bigger than anything we've done. I..."

"Calm down, big guy." Snow hit the man on the shoulder. "What's the fuss?" Snow walked up to the old soldier. "Who's the old guy?"

He stood and held his hand out for Snow to shake. "My name is Sazh Katzroy, and I'm a pilot with the Sanctum."

Snow shook his hand. "You do know where you're at, buddy? These guys don't play nice with Sanctum people."

"Yeah, well I'm not feeling too much Sanctum pride right now and I hear you've been looking for information on Lightning Farron."

"Anything I can find." Snow had put out the search for anyone who had information on Lightning to come forward. He didn't do it for himself, it was Serah he was thinking of. She hadn't left the house since Lightning had gone missing, she cried herself to sleep most nights and if knowing what happened to her sister would bring Serah even a small amount of comfort then he would do anything. "I want to know what happened to her."

"I'll do you one better." Sazh sat down. "I'll tell you where she is."


	7. Chapter 7

Sazh Katzroy, first Lieutenant and pilot for the Sanctum military, was starting to get fed up with the Sanctum and their mysterious motives. He was sitting in his apartment when he heard the news over the TV. 'A sanctum patrol near the border has gone missing, presumed dead.' _I flew that mission. I took those men to their deaths. _The guilt tore at him. If he had known what he was signing up for he would never have taken that mission in the first place but he had and now here he sat, face to face with it. His phone rang and he slowly got up to answer it. "Katzroy? The General needs to speak with you."

"I'm not exactly ready to go..."

"A car is waiting downstairs for you. It's urgent."

Sazh knew what the word urgent meant to the Sanctum. _Interrogation. They want to know what happened._ Sazh threw on his combat fatigues and his favorite green jacket and headed downstairs. As told an unmarked Sanctum car was waiting for him downstairs. Two armed men stood next to the door. One of them opened it for him. He entered the car with a bad feeling.

When it stopped it was at the administrative building of the Bodhum Air Base. The two guards led him up the long stairs to the top floor and through a set of ornate double doors into a well decorated office where a large, attractive man sat behind a massive wood desk. He was sat down across from him. A plaque that sat on the end of his desk read, _Cid Raines, General of the Armed Forces of Bodhum._

He leaned forward to get a better look at Sazh. "Lieutenant Katzroy, it is a pleasure to meet you." Though the circumstances said otherwise Cid wasn't overly hostile, nor was he overbearing. He smiled an almost friendly smile as he spoke. "It has come to my attention that you were the one who flew the recon team to the border."

"Actually sir, the mission wasn't to take them to the border, sir. The mission was to..."

"The mission was handed down by me, I know what the god damned mission was." Cid grew irate, losing his friendly smile in favor of an intimidating stare. "So tell me how you could screw up a simple drop and how our men ended up miles into Pulse without a clue?"

Sazh raised his hands, as if the gesture alone proved his innocence. "All I know is what I was told, sir. The drop zone was changed at the last minute."

"Who changed it?"

"I have no idea. I just receive my orders, sir."

Cid let out a sigh at this. _I wonder what strings he's tugging at? What tampestry he's trying to unravel?_ "Do you know how many men were in the squad?"

Sazh knew this much. He had watched them board through a camera in the cockpit. "Five, sir."

A look crossed Cid's face. "Five, you say? Then explain this." Cid slid several photos across the desk to Sazh. Sazh took them and examined them. They were photos of a jungle setting, four Sanctum soldiers lay dead with Pulsian arrows jutting from their bodies in all directions. _They must have gotten ambushed._ "If you dropped five soldiers then why are there only four bodies, Liutenant?"

"I'm not sure, but I do know that there were five squad members, sir. I watched them board. Perhaps one was taken prisoner?"

Cid shook his head. "The Pulsians don't take prisoners, certainly not ours." A thoughtful look took over Cid's face. "Something isn't right here." His gaze wavered around the room before it settled back on Sazh. "You're sure about that? Five soldiers?"

Sazh took another look at the photos and saw that the men on the ground were indeed men. There was something he had noticed about their squad leader, something that seemed important. "She was a woman."

This caught Cid's attention. "Who?"

"The squad leader. I remember because I found it odd. I don't see her in these pictures but I know she was there."

"Interesting..." Cid gathered up the pictures on his desk. "Until this matter is resolved I'm putting you on paid leave. Naturally, should you speak to anyone of this matter you will be charged with treason. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed."

Sazh stood and walked out of the door, his escort remained behind. As soon as the doors closed behind him he exhaled and slumped against the wall. _What the hell is going on? If even General Raines doesn't know what happened then who does? How high does this go?_ These thoughts ran through his head as he found his way back to the ground floor of the administrative building and called a cab that would take him back home.

Over the next week more details would spill out about the failed mission and the dead soldiers. Sazh watched eagerly and would eventually learn the name of the female soldier involved, Claire 'Lightning' Farron. He would also learn that she was pronounced dead at the scene, although he knew otherwise. _A Sanctum coverup. Not much of a shocker there. _

The Sanctum would use the dead soldiers as fuel to add to a fire against Pulse. Sanctum officials would call for action against Pulse for their transgressions into Cocoon lands. Sazh knew that was wrong too, those soldiers had been killed deep inside Pulse. _Now they want to incite a war with Pulse._ Not for the first time had he wondered just why the drop coordinates were changed at the last minute, and apparently right under the nose of General Raines. _Something smells fishy here._

His phone buzzes. A message from an unknown source simply reads, 'Sanctum lyingcorrupted dataLightning Farron still alivecorrupted dataOerba Villagecorrupted dataNORA, before it is too late'.

_NORA? Where have I heard that name before?_ Sazh's research found that NORA was an anti-Sanctum group based in Bodhum and that was currently being led by a man named Snow Villiers, a man who was currently looking for any information of Lightning's disappearance. _Whoever left me that message must want me to tell them. This may be my only way to learn the truth._

Finding NORA was quite easy, but getting them to trust him turned out to be something different. Only after mentioning that he had information on Lightning was he allowed in to their warehouse base. It was there that he spoke to Snow Villiers.

"I'll do you one better. I'll tell you where she is."

Snow's eyes widened at the news. "She's alive?"

"Alive and taken captive by Pulsians. Oerba, a town near where the squad was dropped, is where she is."

"Does the Sanctum have plans to rescue her?"

Sazh smirked and let out a chuckle. "They declared her dead. What do you think? They're just trying to start a war with Pulse, that's all they care about."

Snow, who was not adept at hiding his feelings, openly seethed. "That's such bullshit." An idea hit him and his face perked up. "Why don't we mount a rescue?"

Sazh shook his head. "A few problems with that. First, you'd have to find a transport and those are getting hard to come by outside of the Sanctum. Two, Oerba is situated at the base of a mountain and at this time of year will be nearly impassable from the snows. Three, even if you managed to get yourself there they aren't just going to welcome you in. Remember, these people hate us as much as we hate them."

"We can't just do nothing." Snow paced around anxiously. "There's gotta be a way."

"Why do you care so much?" The question stopped Snow in his tracks. "I can understand wanting to help people but this sounds personal. Do you know her? Is she your lover?"

Snow laughed sarcastically. "No, but her sister is." Snow's face turned grave. "She's been crying non stop since she found out. I will do whatever it takes to bring Lightning back."

The strength of his words, the conviction with which he spoke them, moved Sazh. He thought of his own son, Dajh who was currently staying with his mother, Sazh's ex-wife, and what he would do to bring him back. While he understood the danger, he also understood that he was in a unique position to help him. "I can help you. I think I can find us a transport."

"And a pilot?"

"You're looking at the best." Sazh stood and stretched his already tired limbs. "Now it'll take me some time to get that going, I have to call in a few favors."

Snow clapped him on the shoulder. "You're doing a good thing here, friend."

"Yeah, well I can get us there. What happens after that is beyond my control."

"Don't worry, buddy. I've got that covered. Just let me know when we're ready to leave." Sazh walked away. "Hey," Sazh turned around, "thanks a million."

Sazh merely smirked. "Don't thank me yet, cowboy."

-SAVAGE-

Lightning made her way through the darkened streets towards, what had become, her training spot beneath the now scarred tree. She carried her sword, even though she had no intention of practicing with it, today. When she arrived she saw a familiar dark-skinned Pulsian waiting for her. She was leaning against the tree and watched her like an eagle. "What took ya?"

Fang pushed off from the tree and the two of them circled each other, eyes watching the other's movements carefully. "I couldn't see you out here. You blend in too well."

"Is that a dig, sunshine? Well you're practically a torch you're so white. I saw you leaving the Mother's from here."

"Nice one." The two continued to circle each other, each looking for an opening. "How many Pulsians does it take to screw in a lightbulb?"

"What's a lightbulb?"

Lightning struck first and the two of them sparred until neither had the energy. This had become an almost nightly ritual for the both of them. The sparring brought them closer together, gave them a common interest and helped divert Lightning's mind from work. Fang enjoyed fighting with someone on equal footing as her, enjoyed fighting someone who didn't care for her status or reputation. Neither of them ever truly won, they just tired each other out.

This time was no different. Both of them lay on the grass afterwards, catching their breath. "I've noticed a lot of decorations going up in the square. Why is that?"

"That's because of the winter festival. It's tomorrow. We worship the goddess Etro," Fang explained, "and legend says that Etro goes to sleep for half the year and that's why the planet gets cold. We hold a festival on the same day every year to commemorate that."

"So in the spring..."

"Etro wakes up and we hold the spring festival."

"Ah. Makes sense." A hell of a lot more than the Sanctum. Thinking back on it, she couldn't think of any rhyme or reason for the things the Sanctum did. At least the Pulsians made sense of their beliefs. "It's actually kind of nice."

Fang chuckled. "Don't tell me you're converting."

Lightning joined in laughter. "It wouldn't really be converting. I don't have any beliefs."

"You should come to the festival. It'll be fun. Vanille will be there."

Lightning let out a sigh that misted the cold winter air. Vanille, now there was a sore subject. "It does sound like fun, and I probably won't be able to work tomorrow anyway."

"Atta girl." Fang hopped up onto her feet. "I had better get home before Anya scolds me for spending too much time out here." Lightning made a sound like a whip. "It's worth it, Lightning. Believe me, it's worth it."

_A festival, huh? What could it hurt._

-SAVAGE-

The next morning saw the town square change from a marketplace to a place for celebrations. The usual stalls displaying wares had been moved leaving the entire area open, the snows had been dug away and taken to another part of Oerba, a large stage had been set up for a group of musicians to play and the area was ringed by large stacks of wood for bonfires. Food had been donated by most everyone in the town and tables upon tables of it were being set up in preparation for the evening's events.

The festival started as the sun went down, denoting the fall of their goddess into peaceful slumber. Much as the sun rose in the morning and set in the evening did Etro rise in the spring and fall in the winter. Vanille had heard the story a thousand times by now and it meant little, she just enjoyed the celebration.

Vanille spent the better part of the day preparing for it. She took a long, hot bath and picked out her favorite dress and furs. She even took out a bottle of perfume that she saved for these occasions, it had been a gift from her mother and was somewhat rare in Oerba, and dabbed some around her neck and wrists. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. _This is going to be a great day._

When she felt ready she made her way down to the living room where her family was waiting for her. "Are you excited, Vanille?" Her mother knew of her love for festivals. She noticed that Vanille was dressed up and smiled. "You look great."

"Thanks, mom."

Her father was at the door talking to someone she couldn't see. He closed the door and walked solemnly into the room. "It seems that Jago has taken ill. He and his family won't be able to attend the festival tonight."

His face was solemn, his voice was downtrodden. Vanille, however, merely shrugged. "So?"

"So?" Her father was taken aback. "He's your fiancé, Vanille. Are you really going to the festival while he is bedridden?"

"Yes."

Her father was shocked. "You're going by yourself?"

"No, I'm going with my family."

"Faren." Her mother scorned her father. "The boy is with his family, let Vanille enjoy the festival."

Her father sighed. "Fine. Let us go, it will be dusk soon."

-SAVAGE-

Lightning had done all the preparing for the festival as she could. Now as she stepped out of the Mother's, wearing a pair of black trousers with a white shirt beneath her thick winter jacket and a pair of boots she had purchased recently, she noticed that the sun had nearly set and the glow of the bonfires lit up the town square. Mother Reyna took her arm, she was accompanying her down to the festival grounds, and they walked slowly down the hill towards the square.

By the time they got there, nearly twenty minutes at Reyna's slow pace, the bonfires that were strategically placed around the marketplace were all lit and Lightning realized that she didn't need the jacket. She took it off and set it down on a table set aside for them as they entered the crowd that was growing by the minute.

As soon as they entered the crowd Reyna left Lightning's side to mingle with the crowd. Voices droned around Lightning and she couldn't understand any of them. She looked over to the stage where many sets of drums and other instruments were being set up. All around her the crowd was growing thicker until she felt like she might suffocate.

Lightning stood amongst the crowd and yet had never felt so alone. Yet, as she looked around she found the only other person in the crowd who was feeling as lonely as her. At the edge of the crowd, standing by herself, stood Vanille. _Why is she standing by herself?_ Her body moved before she consciously thought it, weaving through the crowd towards her.

_Wait._ She remembered her previous conversation with Vanille's father where he had all but threatened her if she went near his daughter. She stopped in mid step, caught between wanting to talk to Vanille and not wanting to incur her father's wrath. Her eyes wandered back to Vanille, standing by herself, a look of sheer loneliness on her face. It broke her heart. _To hell with her father._

She shoved through the ever thickening crowd. As she neared, Vanille's eyes met hers and Lightning got a better look at her. She was dressed up for the festival, the dress she wore was elegant on her and she could tell that it would be quite expensive, her hair was loose and fell elegantly down her shoulders. _She looks gorgeous, but why is she alone?_

She shoved her way through until she stood in front of Vanille. They stood like that for a while, asking questions without words. "You look great, Vanille."

"Thanks." Vanille bit her lip as she looked Lightning over. "I'm surprised to see you here. It's been a while since we talked."

"I know."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to involve you in all this."

"Hey." Lightning reached out and touched her shoulder. The contact sent a spark between them that Lightning felt acutely. "It's not your fault." Her hand lingered over Vanille's shoulder for a moment before she pulled it back. "So why are you here by yourself? Shouldn't you be with your fiancé?"

Vanille cast her gaze to the ground. "I don't to talk about that."

"Well isn't your family here with you?"

Vanile gestured to where her father and mother stood talking amongst the older men and women towards the outside of the ring close to one of the bonfires. "Mom and dad are talking with the older people." She gestured towards the throng of people that were in the center of the square. "My brothers are in there. They both got asked to dance." She sighed. "No one will dance with me since they know I'm engaged. No one wants to risk the family's wrath."

_You'll get that chance, Light. Soon, I think._ Fang's words ran through her head. _Everyone else in this town may be too scared, but I can't just watch her be miserable like this._ "I'm not scared." Lightning held her hand out to Vanille. "Will you dance with me?"

Vanille's face scrolled through emotions like moving pictures, shock, confusion, embarrassment and finally happiness. She smiled up at Lightning then took the hand offered to her. "I'd love to."

Lightning led Vanille deeper into the now packed marketplace just as the band on the stage took to their instruments. "I don't really know how to dance, though."

"It's easy. You just let loose and have fun. Just listen to the music and you'll know exactly what to do."

The music started, heavy drum beats filled the air and shook the ground. All at once everyone in the marketplace started moving. Vanille started gyrating and Lightning watched her until she realized that she could never copy the girl's moves. The music pounded through her veins, the base hit in her chest and before she knew it she was moving to the beat.

Between the bonfires holding back the chill winter air and the crush of people all moving together Lightning quickly found herself sweating. She threw her head back, her hair flying around her head in an arc. She was feeling exhilarated, the energy was flowing through her now. Vanille started dancing close to her, much closer. Vanille pressed herself against Lightning, their bodies moving with each other as Lightning put her arms around her.

They danced together, a raw, primal dance that left Lightning exhausted yet energized. Something about these people, people she had considered savages less than months ago was starting to appeal to her. Their way of life was simple yet satisfying, primal and deep. They lived close to nature, both their own and the one around them. After only a month in Oerba, Lightning was starting to like it here.

The music slowed, the pulsing beats changed to a soft melody, and Vanille threw her arms around Lightning's neck. Lightning wrapped her arms around her waist and held her close, softly swaying to the rhythm. Something about their proximity awakened something in Lightning, something instinctive. She buried her face in Vanille's shoulder, her scent sent shivers down her spine. Vanille's breath was warm on her neck. Before she knew it their lips were close, very close. Lightning became aware of everyone around them, imagined eyes watching them carefully. Vanille was close now and she wanted it, she wanted to kiss her. It was there waiting for her, all she had to do was take it.

Vanille turned her head at the last minute and Lightning regained her composure. They stood together for a time, until the music dropped and the exhilaration left Lightning's body. She didn't know what had happened to her there, as she regained her senses, but she liked it. Vanille was struggling to catch her breath, though from dancing or from the tension between them she didn't know. "Let's get something to eat."

Lightning shoved their way back through the crowd as the music started to play again. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she saw the tables laden with cooked meats and cheeses. She grabbed a drumstick and devoured it, tearing the flesh from the bone until it was nearly white. She heard a chuckle from beside her as Vanille snacked on her own drumstick. "I guess dancing makes you hungry." She chuckled as she took a small bite off the drumstick. "You were great out there."

"Thanks. You too." Lightning grew pensive. "I'm really starting to like it here. Life is so much simpler here than in Cocoon. It really speaks to me."

"Fang told me that you've been working at the smithy. I'm happy for you."

Vanille smiled up at Lightning. Seeing her smile brought up a host of feelings she wasn't yet ready to face. "It's great. I love working with my hands. I even made myself a new sword."

Lightning devoured two more drumsticks before Vanille took her hand sending a jolt up it that Lightning felt strongly. "Up for more dancing?"

"Yes" was Lightning's simple answer.

-SAVAGE-

Vanille couldn't remember having a better time with anyone as she did with Lightning. Something about the way Lightning moved, the power in her body, was enthralling to her. She found herself wanting to touch that body, to explore it, to claim it. They were dancing together, close enough now to touch. Vanille slowly reached out and put a hand on Lightning's waist, surprised when the other woman didn't reject her.

She put her other hand on Lightning's waist and felt her own body heating up. They were dancing close now and Vanille was very aware of the other woman. Lightning had her from behind, her arms draped over Vanille's shoulders as Vanille moved her body against her. Her body was hot enough to melt steel. Her hands were on Lightning's thighs and she felt the power within them. She felt a heat build up in her core.

The music slowed and then stopped. Vanille had to catch her breath but she noticed that Lightning did too. _I wonder if she felt it like I did._ They had been dancing for hours and she was starting to feel tired. She yawned, Lightning took her hand. "Getting tired?"

"Mhmm." Vanille nodded. She spun around and looked up into those crystal blue eyes. "Will you walk me home?"

"Sure."

The two of them made their way through the crowd. Once they passed the circle of bonfires they were struck by the cold winter air and Vanille shivered until she felt a warmth envelop her. Lightning threw the jacket she had recovered over Vanille's shoulder and they walked in silence to the Dia's house. This was the first time Lightning had ever seen it and she was impressed, while not large the house was made of sturdy red brick with a brick chimney and expensive looking silk curtains. They looked new.

Lightning walked Vanille up to the door and they stood in front of it facing each other. "I had a great time tonight, Lightning."

"Me too. Thanks for dancing with me."

Vanille giggled. "You're welcome."

The two stood together alone as a moment passed and all of the tension Vanille had been feeling rose to the surface. She reached out and put her hand on Lightning's arm. The air turned serious. Vanille moved closer until there was no space between them. "Lightning..." Lightning's arms moved around her shoulders and pulled her close. She leaned up, their lips moving closer.

When their lips touched it felt like an explosion to Vanille. Lightning hugged her close as they kissed. The tension that Vanille had been feeling exploded out of her and she closed her eyes in bliss. The kiss lasted only a moment but to Vanille it felt like minutes and when they seperated she wanted more.

Vanille leaned up and stole another kiss. Lightning didn't resist. Afterwards they looked into each other's eyes. Vanille didn't want this moment to end. "I changed my mind. Can we go to the Mother's?"

Lightning, who didn't know what to make of what had just happened, agreed. "Sure."

They walked hand-in-hand toward the Mother's, Vanille was getting more nervous with every step but she found herself more excited than anything else. The kiss had been amazing and she wanted more. They entered the darkened house and Vanille led Lightning to her room. When they were both inside she dropped the jacket and threw herself at Lightning who caught her in an embrace. They kissed again and settled back onto the cot. Lightning, who at first had been more passive, was now getting into it. She wrapped around Vanille and kissed her passionately. Vanille's mouth eased open and Lightning's tongue entered. Vanille's hands wandered Lightning's body, her back, her waist, her abs before finally settling on her breasts. Lightning moaned when Vanille pressed on them. The room was getting hotter and Vanille was in extasy.

Lightning broke the kiss, leaving the two of them out of breath. "Wait." Vanille was completely in the moment and didn't want it to end. She started kissing along Lightning's neck and jawline. Lightning let out a moan. "Wait, stop." She shoved Vanille away. "I-I can't do this."

"But..." Now that they had stopped Vanille suddenly felt cold. She knew what she wanted and it was right in front of her. "I want you..." Vanille's eyes started to water from the feelings that were ripping through her. "I've always wanted you..."

"You're engaged, Vanille. We can't do this."

"I don't care about him." Vanille's voice trembled. "It's you I want. Please..."

"I..." Lightning wanted Vanille, she knew that now but there was a lot going on. She was still practically a prisoner here, this culture wasn't her own, Vanille was engaged to another man, her family hated her and might react violently but there was one thing that stuck out in her mind. "I've never done this before."

"Me neither." Vanille lightly kissed her on the neck and felt Lightning shiver in response. "We can take it slow. We have time."

Vanille's lips continued their assault on Lightning's neck, stoking the fire that raged inside her. She moaned, her breathing increased. She tugged at Vanille's blouse until she lifted her arms and pulled it off of her. Lightning stripped out of her shirt then took Vanille's lips with her own. Vanille gasped when Lightning started gently kneading her petite breasts.

Lightning's pants were the next thing to go, Vanille undid them and Lightning kicked them off the cot. Vanille's skirt soon followed suit leaving them in their bras and panties. Lightning straddled the smaller girl and looked town at her, her hair splayed across the bed, her skin glistening with sweat, her skinny arms reaching out to her waist, those green eyes alight with mirth. "You're beautiful. Do you know that?"

"Yes," Vanille smirked, "but I love hearing you say it."

They continued to make out and explore each other with their hands, though they never went further than that. Lightning lay her head on the pillow with her arms wrapped around Vanille who was spooning beside her. Vanille was exhausted and by the time her head hit the pillow she was nearly asleep. She felt a gentle kiss on her neck and heard a soft whisper in her ear. "Good night, sweet thing."

"Good night, Lightning." Vanille drifted off to sleep in Lightning's arms. _I knew this was going to be a great day._


End file.
